Again
by serialsushi
Summary: Another "Percy joins Chaos' Army" story. After the Giant War, Percy is consumed by nightmares and is convinced that another, more powerful threat is rising. No one believes him, so he leaves Camp Half-Blood. Chaos then seeks him out to offer him a job. 5 years later, Percy returns with a new name and a powerful army to save the camp he once called home. T for language.
1. Again

**Disclaimer: _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympus_ belong to Rick Riordan. Cover art image belongs to the lovely Viria.**

 **AN: Yes, another "Percy joins Chaos' Army" fic. But I had fun writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. I am open to suggestions and critiques. Thank you!**

 _5 years after the Giant War_

 _Percy_

There was a time when I thought the celebrations would never end. Sure, there were plenty of sad times, too. Burning shrouds of our fallen comrades, we spoke of heroic deeds and times when they had made us laugh as if they had just happened, as if they would happen again. But, no. Our fallen friends would live on in Elysium and in our temples and epics, but not on Earth.

After we watched the final curl of fabric turning into ash and after the last, choked sob broke from a brother's lips, we would step back in reverence and return to reality, a place in which we lived. Reality, that place where we had survived and won. We won, dammit. So we threw ourselves into festivities, into telling and retelling the epic battles that we had won and earned our hero titles. So, why? Why did it all seem so empty to me at the time?

I was happy when we won. I was happy when the celebrations began. I was happy when we began restoring the camp back to its former glory, back to how it was before the war. I was happy when, after almost two months of being gone, Leo returned with Calypso, and she forgave me. I was happy when Greeks and Romans, together, formed an unshakeable alliance in that battle. I was happy to have my friends by my side. I was happy when I was with them, with my friends and with my Wise Girl.

But night would come, as it always does. And each night I would approach my own bed, in my own cabin, which I had fought so hard to defend, with a weight on my shoulders and a throbbing in my head, knowing that this night would be just like the last. I would settle in, slip into unconsciousness, sleep, and suddenly the nightmares would be there. Visions of Luke killing himself and Kronos, Tartarus taunting me and Annabeth as we raced along the Phlegethon, Gaea rising all because of me and a stupid nosebleed, holding up the sky so that others could fight, leaving Beckendorf to die on the Princess Andromeda, stepping into the river Styx, closing the Doors of Death. Everything rushed at me, consuming my nights and my sanity. I would wake screaming, breathing heavy, covered in cold sweat, with the same words echoing in my head every time.

 _Wake, hero, and come to die. I am rising._

I may be a Seaweed Brain, but I am not stupid. I went straight to Annabeth. She would know what to do; she always knows what to do. After talking to her, I did feel better. She told me, in small words but with great care and affection, that she thought it was PTSD. She told me that she was having nightmares too, that many people were. I felt better, her telling me that, but it didn't stop the nightmares. The more time went on, the more I came to dread sleep. Annabeth must've told Tyson, because he came to see me quite often and would stay the night. Those nights, I wouldn't sleep at all. I didn't want to wake him, didn't want him or anyone to see just how much I was affected by these nightmares, or visions.

After a certain amount of time, I was convinced it was more than just stress, and I went to Chiron about it. I told him that I was having visions of a dark… something, and that it was going to rise. I told him that I was having nightmares of my dead friends. I told him that we needed to warn the gods and be on guard because something was rising. He sent word to Will, who hooked me up with sleep medication. I took them, because I was really concerned I was going crazy.

People started looking at me strangely after that. I stopped talking so much, stopped laughing so much. I spent most of my days on the beach, just staring out. I would sit by myself or sometimes Grover or one of the Seven would sit by me. I found myself crying a lot, but not knowing why.

Eventually I stopped going to the beach. I stayed in Cabin Three all day, not even coming out for meals. Annabeth tried to talk to me, tried to get me to let her in, but I couldn't. I couldn't make her understand what was happening to me. I Iris-messaged my dad, hoping he would understand. He told me that I needed to relax; we had already won the war.

Pounding on my door became more and more frantic, but I never let anyone in. I was going insane. My brain was seriously messed up, and I could barely function. I went to my mom's apartment, but that only lasted a week. She was so worried about me and I couldn't see her look at me like that. I went back to Camp Half-Blood. I stayed in my cabin, hardly ate, never slept. I played a lot of Tetris, trying to keep my mind off of the fact that I was going insane. I went mad, then I got mad.

Why would no one believe me? There was a serious threat and nobody cared. We had defeated Gaea, so what could possibly be worse? We, "Heroes" of Olympus, could defeat anything, right? Wrong! I could see the stares, hear the whispers. I felt disconnected somehow. I was watching myself fall apart, but I couldn't stop it. I went to the gods, tried to make them understand, but they cast me out and told me I was crazy. Apparently, if they couldn't feel something stirring, how could I?

Annabeth found me on a secluded beach one day. She broke up with me. She was crying, and I was crying, but that didn't stop her. She said I needed time and space, as if it were my fault.

When fall came and school started, I threw myself into it. I finished all of my classes in the fall semester and graduated early, ahead of Annabeth and all my friends. Then, I left.

I left Camp Half-Blood to figure out what happened to my mind and who the mysterious voice in my dreams was.

What I found was that I was not alone in my concern for a rising threat. There was another, an ancient god, forgotten by mortals and nearly so by gods and demigods. He came to me and offered me a job, a chance to work with him to defeat this threat. And so, I gave up my old name, my old home, even my old planet. I took on the role of a soldier.

A soldier of Chaos.

 **AN: Hope you like the first chapter. I know it sounds dark, but it will pick up! I have plans.**


	2. Chaos

**AN: Holy shit. My email blew up with notifications, within hours of posting. Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed, etc. I never expected to get that kind of reaction and I love all of you. So, in gratitude, this chapter is dedicated to you guys. I do not own PJO or HOO, Rick Riordan does. Cover by Viria. Enjoy!**

 _Annabeth, Mount Olympus, Throne Room_

The throne room has dissolved into chaos. I duck and something flies over my head, hitting Ares in the face. Martha and George, the offending flying objects, hiss and curl around the war god's head.

"He smellsss like a rat!" George hisses (for dramatic effect), biting into Ares' nose. Ares rips the snakes off his face and flings them away, back towards Hermes and Apollo, who are cackling at his expense.

Here is where my mother, Athena, would sigh in that disappointed way she always sighs, but she's too preoccupied with yelling at Poseidon to notice anything else. The angrier she gets, the more it smells like olives, but I think I'm the only one to notice that. Artemis and Aphrodite are fighting Hera and Zeus, the strange foursome spitting insults and matching remark for retort. Hades and Hestia are having a quiet conversation in the corner and I think I catch Hestia say "You cannot turn them into dogs; they're your family!" This is followed by a groan and a "But why not?!" All around the throne room, gods and demigods are bickering and fighting. At this point, no one has hurt anyone, but I think someone should step in before it escalates.

Just as I'm clearing my throat to speak, a strange light appears in the doorway and everyone turns.

Standing there, robed and hooded, is an immortal with an aura of power like the Northern Lights. The room hushes and under the hood, I think I see him smile kindly. He politely shuts the door behind him and walks a few more steps into the room. He takes his hood down and reveals the most kindly looking face I have ever seen. His eyes are soft and pale gray, but sparkle in a knowing way. His face, while wrinkled, could never reveal his true age, nor could someone be so rude as to ask such a nice old man. His hair, like his eyes, is gray and cut short, unlike how most immortals keep it. He is kind of short, close to Hermes in height, but still a powerful presence in the room. He smiles.

Zeus is the first to speak. "Who are you?"

Hades gasps. "Brother! Don't be rude!"

Zeus looks to Athena, completely ignorant, but I know who this is. Before my mother can speak, I step up. I bow and greet him. "Hello, Lord Chaos. What brings you to Mount Olympus?"

"Ah, hello Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom. Thank you for your warm welcome, I believe I interrupted your intervention and for that I am sorry. However, I am here because there is a threat rising, which I presume is the cause of this argument?"

"Lord Chaos, we were just discussing the possible threat. Understandably, many of us do not believe the threat to be true. It cannot be true. We cannot afford a war of this scale so soon after defeating Gaea. What do you know?"

My mother, typically so cool and collected, looks to Chaos with urgency in her eyes, as if willing him to tell her that nothing was wrong. Perhaps because she had just been arguing with Poseidon, trying to convince him of that. But Chaos sighs, softly and sadly. Then he looks up and speaks. "I am not really the best person to ask about this. But I will tell you what I know in his stead. Several years ago, five or so, you were warned of this threat by a demigod of great esteem, correct?"

Everyone must be looking down at their feet, like I am, because he continues. "Since hearing of this threat, my army and I have been preparing to fight it. If we do not act fast, the Pit will become one with the mortal world. Tartarus is rising."

As he said it, a shiver ran through the Council and the room seemed to grow colder and darker.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jason take Piper's hand and she leans into him. Since Gaea's defeat, the Olympian Council has grown and the throne room has expanded to the size of an auditorium. All gods and goddesses are welcome and representatives from both camps are free to attend. Council meetings are more frequent and less dull and hardly anyone is injured anymore, not since the Stolls "accidentally" detonated a few fart bombs and were chased out of the building by an angry mob. It looks like Percy's dream of uniting gods and demigods came true. I wince after thinking of him; it's my fault he's not here right now.

"My Lord, you say that you have an army specifically for the purpose of defeating Tartarus?"

"Well, yes and no. I have an army. That army has an elite team who were brought together to defeat Tartarus."

"Will they lend us their aid?"

Chaos laughs lightly. "Of course, my dear. Why would I bring them together and then not have them aid their fellow demigods? This is what they have trained for, and this is what they will succeed in doing, I have every faith in them."

"You say that they're demigods? Campers?" Reyna, still Praetor, speaks up bravely.

"Again, yes and no. They are former campers. They have left this world behind in order to train and return when needed. Many of my army are former campers, though the main purpose of the army is simply to keep balance in the universe, so we rarely come to Earth. The team that will be joining you in this war is the best of the best. They are true heroes."

"If you think so highly of them," Ares growls, "then where are they? Why did they not come five years ago when we were first warned of this threat?"

Chaos' eyes darken. "Because five years ago, you yourselves did not believe there was a threat. We have been waiting, patiently, for you to sense it yourselves. Only then would you accept our help, where in the past you would turn it away." He looks around the Council knowingly, but still in a kind way. When his eyes again soften, he turns to Ares. "They are not here right now because they are preparing themselves for war. They are saying goodbye to friends, giving instructions to their subordinates, and preparing to set foot on Earth for the first time in many years. They are all very dear to me, though some of them may perish in the battles to come. They are all willing to lay down their lives for this planet. So please, give them just five minutes."

It takes three and a half minutes. When they arrive, they arrive without fanfare. Roughly fifty or sixty soldiers, faces covered by hoods, swathed in gray cloaks and black armor, walk quietly into the throne room.

 **AN: That's chapter two! Hope you enjoyed. I hope to have chapter three up by then end of the day tomorrow, but updates may be a little infrequent. Thanks!**


	3. Names

**AN: Hello, again! As promised, here is the third chapter. Here is where we make introductions and all that good stuff. Rick Riordan owns PJO/HOO, Viria owns the cover image. Thank you all for your support and kind words. Enjoy!**

 _Percy, Mount Olympus, Throne Room_

All my training for the past five years had led up to this moment. I swallow uncomfortably and wonder why Chaos suggested we wear full battle armor to this meeting. Absentmindedly, my hand goes to my hood, pulling it down. I have no time to think about what they might think of me and how I abandoned Earth. Right now, I just have to make it through this meeting.

With one more tug on my hood, I push the gigantic doors and they swing open, revealing the throne room. I walk steadily into the room, eyes to the front, and hear my soldiers marching in behind me. The door shuts; I breathe and address Chaos. I put my left arm behind my back, my right fist over my heart, and bow slightly. "Lord Chaos, Squads Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo reporting for duty."

Then, I turn to the gods, dropping the salute and just bowing. "Immortals, demigods. Thank you for receiving us."

"Thank you for coming," Hestia says quietly, from the hearth. "Welcome back to Earth."

"It's a pleasure to be back, Lady Hestia."

"Who's this runt?" Ares growls, more like Mars right now.

I can feel myself beginning to get angry, but I tamp it down; this is not the time for that. I'm about to introduce myself when Chaos speaks. "Perhaps we should do the introductions down at Camp Half-Blood. That way, we save time by only introducing ourselves once. Time is of the essence, and my soldiers will need to set up camp before nightfall and prepare the camp leaders for the war."

"Fine," Zeus says. He looks down at me with interest, or maybe contempt. I can't really tell, nor do I care.

"Thank you," Chaos says, though I'm not sure why he would thank Zeus; it's not like Zeus could really oppose the wishes of Chaos. Whatever. With a wave of his hand, all of us are transported to the top of Half-Blood Hill. It's maybe three o'clock and the sun is beating down. Damn this armor. Why did it have to be black?!

Zeus leads the way to the amphitheater, instructing the demigods among the Council to gather the other campers, Romans, and Hunters that are at Camp. I fall in step beside Chaos and hear murmuring from behind me.

 _They're talking about you, you know._ Chaos' voice says softly in my head.

 _I figured as much. It's a little weird, being back._

 _I doubt too much has changed. You'll be fine._

I nod, unable to think of a good reply.

Since leaving Earth, Chaos and I have grown close with our mutual desire to save the world. While Chaos saves the world on a much grander scale, literally balancing the amount of good and evil in the universe (which is pretty much the opposite of chaos, which I have told him numerous times), I am content with saving the camp and my demigod friends here on Earth. Not that I haven't helped maintain the balance of the universe either, but that's more of a side job.

My soldiers and I follow the gods into the amphitheater. Demigods start filing in, maybe just a little suspicious of a hooded army. While we're waiting for everyone to arrive, my army relaxes a little, talking quietly amongst themselves and looking around. Some of them are probably seeing some familiar faces.

"Hey." My second in command appears next to me without making a sound. For a while, it scared the shit out of me, but now I'm more accustomed to Luke's tricks.

"Hey, Miles." I use the name Chaos gave him. It seems pretty normal, but I Googled it and it means soldier in Latin. All of our code names are symbolic.

"Are you ready for this?" he asks me. I can pretty much guess what he's thinking.

"You don't have to take your hood down." He makes a grunting noise, which is our primary form of communication, but otherwise says nothing. "You're not a traitor. You're a hero, man. You saved everyone and no one here hates you. If anyone gives you trouble, we can tie them to the top of the rock wall. Still, it's your choice."

"Are you going to?" he turns and faces me.

"I… haven't really decided. I was really crazy last time I was here. I lost it. I don't think I'm ready to see their reactions to me being back and… well, you get what I mean."

"Mhm."

"Will you make sure that the others know that revealing their faces is completely optional? I doubt there aren't more like us."

The corner of his mouth tugs up in a smile. "Yeah, I'll make sure. Thanks, brother."

I nod and watch him as he goes. I look around the large outdoor space and I'm surprised by how many people are here. When I left, it was winter, so everyone was in school. I guess I forgot how many demigods there are when we come together. And with my forces added to that, I feel good about this war.

In the amphitheater, all of the gods and goddesses are sitting with their children, using the meeting as an excuse to interact. I notice Poseidon is not sitting alone. Tyson is sitting with him and twiddling with something metallic. The two are talking about something I can't hear, but they look happy. I see the Seven (Six, now) together and talking with Chiron. Reyna comes up and joins them, along with a few other people. Chaos is speaking with Hades and Athena.

Just as Luke returns to my side and Chaos leaves his conversation, Zeus stands.

"Demigods!" Zeus bellows. The room gets quiet. "As we feared, a powerful threat is rising. There is a war coming. Tartarus is rising and we must face him. Lord Chaos, Keeper of the Balance, Watcher of the Worlds, has brought these soldiers to aid us in the coming battles." He nods to Chaos, who continues.

"Hello, thank you all for coming," he says politely. Chaos is always polite, and he once explained it to me as some sort of conversational tactic. With a name like "Chaos" people expect you to be frightening and all over the place. So, he always speaks calmly and rarely raises his voice. This throws people off their guard a little, but after they adjust, they respect him a lot. I don't really get it, but it makes sense when he says it.

"As Zeus said, Tartarus is rising. However, my army is well prepared, well trained, and well led. I have gathered the best of the best, led by the army's commander, to help you in these coming months." He gestures to me and I know it's my turn to speak and introduce myself.

I stand beside Chaos and look around the room quickly before speaking. "I am Akai, Commander of Chaos' Army." I take another breath and begin. "For the last millennia, rumors of Tartarus' rising have spread. In the past ten years, there have been more Ancients stirring than ever before. Kronos, Gaea, and now Tartarus have all attempted to rise and overthrow Western Civilization. I have trained my army for the eventuality that Tartarus will rise. When he does, we will meet him in battle. My soldiers are all demigods, veterans of wars both here and on other planets, and we will defend Camp Half-Blood like we would our own home. We are -" I'm cut off by Zeus.

"What makes you the authority on Tartarus?" he grumbles. "How did you, a demigod from another planet, sense his rising before we did?"

"To clarify, Lord Zeus, I am from _this_ planet. After Gaea's defeat, Tartarus himself chose five unlucky people to be the heralds of his arrival. One joined his side, one committed suicide, one went insane, one is Lord Chaos, and I am the last. The visions Tartarus sent, coupled with flashbacks of the most tragic events one has experienced, are enough to make anyone lose their mind." I look around the room, seeing horror on some faces. "I am not the authority on Tartarus, but I have been to the Pit and back. I will do what I can to help you defeat this threat, but I will need your cooperation and trust. My lieutenants, Miles, Solani, Damian, and Angela," I gesture to each as I call their name and they step forward, "will begin training your heroes and preparing to defend camp and Olympus. However, these are not _your_ soldiers. They answer to me and me alone, and I don't take orders. To win this war, you will need to trust us."

"How can we trust you? You wear hoods to hide your faces and then expect us to trust you?"

"I understand. I will not ask my soldiers to show their faces; that choice is up to each individual. Soldiers," I face them, "Now would be a good time, if you would like to reveal yourself."

For a long moment, no one does anything. Then, together (which is how they do everything), Solani and Angela raise their hands and drop their hoods. Standing in the center of the amphitheater is Zoe Nightshade and Bianca di Angelo.

To my left, someone gasps. "B?" Nico stands, unsteadily. He comes down from the raised seats and approaches her cautiously. Artemis and the other Hunters stand by, looking shocked at the appearance of their lost sisters.

"H-hi, Ni-" she's cut off when Nico wraps her in the biggest hug I've ever seen him give. She smiles brightly and wraps her arms around him and they're both frantically saying sorry to each other and crying and it's cute and sad at the same time. I like to think that I keep my promises. I wasn't able to save Bianca in the automaton graveyard, but as soon as I got the chance, I brought her into the army.

I look away from the scene and see Castor and Pollux, Dionysus' twins, reuniting tearfully. All around the amphitheater, my soldiers are removing their hoods. So many of them are casualties from the past two wars, and they're greeting their friends again. Zoe is with her Hunter friends again and she and Thalia are regarding each other appreciatively. Luke, Ethan (Damian), and I stand together, not removing our hoods. There are others that also leave their hoods down and we gather together.

"What about you three?" Zeus asks. "Shouldn't we know the identities of the people who are supposed to lead our children into battle?"

I step closer to him. "Lord Zeus, I told you I would not ask for them to show their faces. We each have our reasons for keeping our identities hidden. And as you can see, most of my soldiers are casualties from previous wars. Some of us have very powerful enemies."

"What are you afraid of?" Ares goads.

To my surprise, Ethan speaks. "Many things, Lord Ares." He notices my partially-open mouth, and then nods. "It's fine, Akai." He turns back to the god. "I fought for Kronos in the Second Titan War, but switched sides at the end to save a good friend, which is what got me killed. I fear the consequences of my own actions in that war; I am deeply sorry for what I've done," He says everything quickly, and then lowers his head sheepishly. He raises a hand to lower his hood, but Luke's hand stops him.

"Together?" Luke asks. Ethan nods and smiles. "In the Second Titan War, I was consumed by a misplaced hatred in the gods, particularly my father. I thought overthrowing the gods would make everything better. If only demigods could rule, the world would be better. I was wrong. I, like so many others, was being used. In the end, I killed myself to protect my friends and finish what I, regretfully, started." He nods to Ethan and the two lower their hoods.

Gasps fill the air. Two shapes go rushing past me and fling themselves at Luke. I blink and see Thalia and Annabeth, hugging Luke. Annabeth looks over and pulls Ethan into the hug, whispering "thank you." Hermes and Nemesis reunite with their children.

I retreat, positioning myself beside Chaos.

The reunions and talking die down a bit. "Will you trust my soldiers?" I ask.

Zeus raises an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"Nobody special."

"Leave the boy alone, Zeus." Surprisingly, it's Athena who comes to my aid. "If he doesn't want to tell us, he won't, but you're getting dirty looks from the whole army and we need them on our side, so be quiet for once."

"Thank you, Lady Athena." She does not acknowledge me. Luke, Ethan, Zoe, and Bianca come and stand by me.

"I will vouch for him. Akai is a strong leader and a good man. He is loyal to a fault and a true hero. I trust him with my life."

"So do I," Bianca says. "He's always got our backs, and any of us would die for him."

"You can trust him," Ethan says.

Luke says nothing, but puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Fine then, we will trust you, Commander Akai."

"Thank you."

"If that's settled, I really must return to our planet. There's a stirring in Sector Nine." He says that last part more to me than anyone else. "I leave you in Commander Akai's very capable hands. Goodbye." He smiles, then disappears.

I have a lot of work ahead of me.

 **AN: Wow, this one got really long, really quickly. Thank you all for reading! Please review, I love hearing from you guys. Until next time!**


	4. Home

**AN: Back again!** **You guys are the best! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Rick Riordan owns PJO and HOO. Viria owns the cover art.**

 _Annabeth, Camp Half-Blood, Dining Pavilion_

After Athena stood up for Akai and Zeus agreed to trust the soldiers, things got more awkward. Everyone wants to know who this guy is, but no one wants to mess with a potentially very powerful demigod who has been trained by Chaos himself. After agreeing to meet again soon to talk about strategy, the gods left for Mount Olympus. Chiron and Akai talked briefly about having a small meeting in the morning for the camp leaders, and then Chiron told Akai where the soldiers could set up camp. With the Romans and Chaos' army making camp within the borders, this place has gotten extremely crowded.

The dining pavilion is overrun with demigods, most of who have weapons strapped to them and carry plates of food. The seating ran out extremely quickly, with demigods sitting pretty much anywhere, disregarding the rules of sitting with your cabin. So, I commandeered Poseidon's table for myself and the rest of the Seven, along with Grover, Juniper, Reyna, Tyson, and some other familiar faces. Nico and Will come over and ask to join us and everyone agrees. Everyone here is a friend of Percy's. He's not here, though, and we avoid talking about that subject, if we can.

Tonight, though, it may be unavoidable.

There are still plenty of hooded members of the army; any one of them could be him. But why would he hide his face from us? He doesn't have to hide. I feel terrible about what I did to him, but I never thought he would leave Camp Half-Blood. I thought that he needed time. He always was one to try and solve his problems all by himself. I thought if I gave him some space, he could work it out. It was only after I got the call from Chiron that I realized. How could I have been so stupid? For a daughter of Athena, I'm a disgrace. He tried to make me understand and I just wouldn't fucking listen. I'd give anything to see him again and apologize.

I'm snapped out of my self-loathing by Nico standing up and waving someone over. It's Bianca. She approaches happily, a tray of food in her hands.

"Ciao, fratellino!"

"Ciao, sorella." He smiles, something that's rare to see on the son of Hades, but has become more common since he came out and started dating Will. "Wanna sit with us?" He looks around, unsure if that's okay with everyone, but we nod encouragingly.

She falters though. "Uh, I'm not sure. I want to! But, I should probably sit with Akai and the other lieutenants. Akai said something about a short briefing, and I don't think I can miss it." She looks back at him. He's standing a few feet away and was talking with Luke, but their conversation died when he heard Nico call over Bianca.

"The meeting can wait, go ahead and sit with your brother." He smiles, and I can't figure out why it looks so familiar. It's like déjà vu.

"You guys should all sit with us!" Grover says, looking at Luke.

"I'd love to! I mean, if that's alright with everyone." He smiles uncertainly.

"Of course you can sit here," I say. We all scoot over and make some room on the bench. I look behind where Akai is still standing and see Zoe join the Hunters' table and Ethan Nakamura with some soldiers, using logs as makeshift seats off to the side. "Aren't you going to sit?" I ask Akai.

"Um, no I think I'll go sit with- hey!" Luke grabs him by the wrist and pulls him down onto the bench.

"It's rude to refuse a lady's invitation, Akai. Besides," Luke says, putting his hand on Akai's shoulder, "You're not fooling anyone. You were going to sit by yourself and not even eat."

"Fine, Mom."

Luke gives me a look like: "You see what I have to deal with? Look at this guy."

Akai takes a drink and Piper says, "So how long have you two been married?"

Akai does a spit-take, right in Luke's face. Akai, Luke, and Bianca burst into uncontrollable laughter, almost falling off the bench. The hysteria is infectious and soon, everyone at the table is laughing. Luke dries his face with a napkin and leans in close to Akai.

"Darling, dear, my one and only, I just love you so much!" Luke makes a kissing face, which looks more like a fish face, and Akai smacks him upside the head.

"You're deranged, Miles!" Akai holds his stomach and chokes back the rest of his laughter. He turns his head in Piper's direction. "Miles and I aren't married. Though, if we were, we probably would've killed each other by now. He's definitely more like a brother."

"Yeah, the hot brother!" Luke says.

Akai shrugs, "Hey, I'm not arguing with that."

"Akai knew Miles before either of them joined the army," Bianca explains. "They, along with Chaos, began forming the five teams that would be trained for fighting Tartarus. Those two are joined at the hip. They're the ones that came to the Underworld and offered me this job. I really couldn't refuse."

"But I saw you, in the Fields of Asphodel, just last month." Nico says. His face is scrunched up in confusion.

"Oh, right, well we had to leave behind projections of ourselves in the Underworld so that no one would panic when demigods suddenly started coming back to life. I'm sorry that we had to deceive you, though." Nico nods in understanding.

"So, um, you brought back dead demigods to join your army?" Katie Gardener asks Akai.

"Uh, yeah. Sounds a little morbid, when you put it that way. It was an offer though, no one was forced to come."

"So, Beckendorf and Silena?"

His mouth forms a cute (wait, what?) little 'o' then turns into a smile. "Those two are living happily in Elysium. I did offer them positions, but they wanted to stay. I understand, of course; this is a hard life to lead."

Katie smiles and nods, but her eyes form tears in the corners. Travis Stoll puts his arm around her and she leans into him.

"Um, did you maybe find Percy Jackson?" Grover asks timidly. "We know he's not dead, but I figured maybe…" the words die out in his throat and he looks down at the can he had been munching on.

Akai sighs. "Chaos did find Percy Jackson."

Grover brightens. "Really?! Where is he?!"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that."

"What? But… why not?"

"Because he wouldn't want me to. It's his decision whether or not to return; no one can make that choice for him."

"You said something similar about yourself," I remark.

He nods. "We have a similar situation."

"Percy is one of the Heralds, isn't he?" Reyna asks.

"Yes."

"Then…" No one wants to say it. He couldn't be the one who committed suicide, or Hades would have told us when he arrived in the Underworld. He couldn't have gone to Tartarus' side because Percy would rather die than betray his friends. So that only leaves one option. "Then he's…" I can't even bring myself to say it.

"We're all crazy," Akai says, looking straight at me. "Nothing says psychological trauma quite like having Tartarus destroy your sleep and whisper the same thing over and over in your head." He inhales deeply, then exhales. "Could we not talk about it? It's really hard to stay focused if I think about it for too long."

We're silent for a while, but dinner picks back up. Leo does his best impressions of popular comedians and Luke pickpockets the whole table without anyone noticing. Laughter returns and we talk about small things. Luke talks about how great being in the army is and what his life is like there. He throws quite a bit of praise at Akai, who humbly denies it all. There's a dynamic between the two of them that isn't hard to see. They really are like brothers, protecting each other. They have the same relationship with Bianca, who practically glows listening to Nico tell stories about his life. It feels like we're a family. It feels like home.

 **AN: Okay! Here's a new chapter. I know it's filler, but I thought we needed something like this, with all our babies interacting like a family. Thanks for reading! Love you guys!**


	5. Herald

**AN:** **Hello! Chapter Five is here already! Thank you guys for all of your support and kind words; it means so much for me to hear from you guys. As always, Rick Riordan owns PJO/HOO and Viria owns the cover art. Enjoy!**

 _Percy, Camp Half-Blood, Akai's Tent_

It feels kind of like I'm swimming through mud. Or maybe caramel. It's thick and sticky and it clings to my hair and my clothes, pulling my hood off and exposing me. I can't see the strange substance, but I feel it all around me. What I can see, I wish I couldn't. I can feel my stomach lurch, hear my heart pound, and taste the tears and the sweat and the blood in the air. This is hell.

The image in front of me is one I'm all too familiar with, but the reaction varies. Sometimes, I'll see it and go spiraling into depression. Sometimes hysteria. Sometimes rage. Usually, a horrific combination of many emotions. There's a battlefield in front of me. The stinking, rotting corpses of my friends lay scattered about. Dead eyes stare at me from the ground. The smell of blood and bodily waste makes itself a home in my nostrils, causing my eyes to water. Annabeth is right in front of me, her ragged armor half off. Her beautiful golden hair, which always made her look like a princess to me, is crusted with blood. Those gorgeous gray eyes, always storming and filled with emotion, are completely blank. Her own dagger is plunged into her heart, blood still seeping out of a wound that will never heal.

I choke and sob. Further on, I see Grover. His eyes are closed, but gods I wish mine were. His head is split. Blood pours from the wound on his temple and runs down his face. Juniper is lying near him, cut up and burnt and bloody, but I can't tell how she died. Luke is laying face first in his own blood, clasping his sword in his hand. I can only tell it's him because of the bright silver edging around his hood, which marks him as my Second-in-Command. Scattered around the battlefield, I see the rest of my Lieutenants, with bronze edging around their gray hoods. The bodies are either wearing orange, purple, silver, or gray. Greeks, Romans, Hunters, and Soldiers. Monsters disintegrate when they die, but I see none of the telltale dust. This was hardly a battle. It was a massacre.

In the center of the field, there's a dark shadow. It looks at me smugly, if that's possible for a shadow. I know who this is though. He nods to me and vanishes.

 _Wake, hero, and come to die. I am rising._

Those words, those fucking words. I've heard them every night for five _fucking_ years. I drop to my knees on the battlefield and nearly throw up. Blood seeps up from the ground and soaks my knees. A wretched sob breaks from my lips. I scream and curse and shout and give Tartarus the finger, but I'm still stuck in this fucking wasteland.

I feel someone shaking me and I wake up, my scream still dying from my lips and my throat raw from sobbing and yelling. I look up into concerned blue eyes and see that Luke is very much alive.

But, gods, it was so real.

I sit up and put my head in my hands, trying to wipe the tears from my eyes and stop myself from crying again. I can't though, my hands are shaking and I feel like I might throw up or have a panic attack. Maybe both. The cot shifts a bit, taking Luke's weight as he sits next to me and puts an arm around my shoulder.

"You made it through almost the whole night," he notes. There's a slight pause, like he might want to ask me about it. Instead he says, "Come on, it's about time for breakfast anyway. Let's get some coffee in you."

I stand, somewhat numbly.

He grips my shoulder hard and shakes ever so slightly, causing me to look up. "You good?"

I take a breath, forcing myself to not vomit or scream. "Yeah, brother, I'm good."

He nods. "Meet you here in ten?"

I nod. He leaves. I sluggishly put on clothes. Nothing fancy like yesterday, just a gray t-shirt to match my hood, some military-style camouflage pants, and the same black combat boots I wear with everything. I make sure my Camp Half-Blood necklace is tucked into my pocket, and then I put on a black arm brace-thingy whatchamacallit that covers up my SPQR tattoo and serves as a sheath for a small knife. I put on a belt and sheath (with sword, duh). Then I go about brushing teeth, putting on deodorant, and just generally making sure I don't smell like ass.

Finally, I pull my hood down over my face and exit my tent. Luke is waiting for me outside.

"You look good," he says. "Like a leader."

"That's because no one can see the bags under my eyes." It's a weak retort. It's far too early to be sassy. First coffee, then sass.

We walk through the tents. Twenty-eight tents, two per a tent. There's an odd number of soldiers, leaving me to sleep by myself, which is for the best. When Luke first found out about the nightmares and visions, he insisted on sleeping in the same room as me. I thought it wasn't a bad idea, and I'd try anything the get a decent night's sleep, so he moved in. It was great for maybe three days. I still had nightmares, but lighter ones. Then, I had a really terrible one. I woke up when the two guys from across the hall pulled me off of Luke and slammed me to the ground. I beat the shit out of Luke in my sleep. I was cut up a bit, from Luke grabbing a dagger and trying to fend me off, but he had been holding back, trying to wake me up. I had not been so kind.

I felt awful, of course. I still do. I broke one of his ribs and cracked another. He was bruised and sore for a while, but he was really chill about it. He did, however, move out. That was safest for everyone. I sleep alone now. This is both relieving and gut-wrenchingly depressive. It's for the best, though.

Luke and I are some of the first to make it to the dining pavilion. I grab a plate, grab two slices of toast, then pack eggs, cheese, and bacon onto the toast, like a sandwich. This is pretty customary for me. My mom used to make them all the time, except with blue eggs. I take a mug, which magically fills with black coffee.

I drank coffee before I left, but I used to add a shit load of sugar and creamer and milk, whatever, to take the bitterness away. As the years have passed, my coffee has gotten stronger and stronger to the point at which it can barely be called coffee. Now it's more like puréed coffee beans that someone added a little bit of hot water to. I should probably stop. The next step may just be eating the beans raw, and that does not sound appetizing. Luke sits down at the same table we were at yesterday (the Poseidon table, ironically) and we eat as more people filter in. Annabeth arrives, sitting down across from Luke, absorbed in some journal. Zoe sits next to me, Thalia sits across from me and next to Annabeth. Bianca sits on Luke's other side, with Nico sitting across from her and Will next to him. Ethan sits next to Bianca. Frank, Hazel, Leo, and Calypso sit on our side as well, filling out this side. Jason, Piper, and the Stolls sit to Will's left. Katie sits at that end. Juniper sits next to Thalia and Grover takes the head of the table, opposite of Katie.

I devour my sandwich, and then focus on the coffee. I just barely listen to the conversations going on around me. I yawn, take a sip of coffee, rest my elbow on the table and rest my head on my fist. Gods, I'm exhausted. Day one and I already feel ready to drop. My eyes droop, blink open, droop again, close. I am _so_ close to falling asleep when an arm knocks my elbow off balance, causing me to slam my forehead into the table.

"Wakey, wakey, Akai. I know you need the beauty sleep, but isn't that what you wear the hood for?" Luke taunts.

I recover and give him the finger. "One day, I'm gonna hit my head so hard that my brains just start leaking out, and your sorry ass is gonna miss me."

"Heh, like water from a dam," Grover mutters.

"Wouldn't that be a dam shame?" Zoe adds.

Grover, Zoe, Thalia, and I burst into hysterical laughter.

"I didn't think you got those jokes," Thalia says to Zoe, once it's a little easier to breathe.

"I understand," she replies. "It just took me a long while." She laughs.

In reality, I took pity on her and let her into the joke. In the past five years, we have made every dam joke we could possibly come up with, and they are never not funny.

"But how would you know that joke?" Grover asks me.

Uh oh. "Ha! Well, she started making them a lot, after she got it I guess. And it bugged me for a long time because she thought it was the funniest thing in the world. So, after a while I got so frustrated, I actually ordered her to let me in on it. Probably the second stupidest order I've ever given, but it definitely paid off. And it helps to have someone around who actually understands why you're laughing like a deranged lunatic."

"What's the stupidest order you've ever given?" Will asks.

"'Don't touch the balls!'" Luke cackles beside me. My lieutenants crack up, faces flushed from lack of oxygen.

I'm about to explain when I hear Chiron's voice softly call out Rachel's name.

Our heads turn and she walks straight up to me, eyes glowing green and thick green smoke billowing at her feet.

She opens her mouth and a voice that is not Rachel's speaks:

 _The Herald of the Sea returns to the West,_

 _And Tartarus wakes from a million-year rest._

 _Beware, Chaos Soldier, the enemies of your past._

 _Fear not or this battle shall be your last._

 _Prepare yourselves, Children of Gods,_

 _Only with Hope will you beat the odds._

I get off the bench and catch her before she can fall to the ground. The green light fades from her eyes and the smoke dissipates. Her eyes close, flutter, then blink open. She yawns causally.

"Oh, hi," she says, quite chipper for someone who just had the Oracle inhabit their body. "Thanks for catching me."

"Not a problem," I mutter, thinking about the words of the Prophecy. I help her up.

"Camp Leaders! We will meet in the rec room in ten minutes. We have much to discuss." Chiron offers Rachel a ride- she's still weak from the Oracle- and they head towards the Big House.

I look at Luke. It seems like everyone is staring at me. I sigh and flop down on the bench and put my head in my hands.

"This is gonna be a long day," I say to no one in particular.

"Ah, you worry too much Akai. Everything is going to be fine, brother. You just need more coffee," Luke says, sliding the mug in front my face.

"Does he really though?" Bianca asks.

"Well, I'm sure he'd prefer something stronger. I could go for a few shots right about now, but I don't think these goblets fill with whiskey," Ethan says.

"Damian, it's seven a.m." Zoe scowls at him.

"I know, I should already be drunk by now."

"Alright, kids, that's enough. We have a meeting to get to and I need to order people around before we begin." I down the rest of my coffee, watch as it fills again, then head to the Big House, telling a few soldiers along the way what they should be doing. Luke trails close behind and I'm sure the others aren't too far off. Most of our table arrives at the rec room at the same time. Everyone arrives quickly, buzzing to talk about the prophecy. Rachel sits in the corner next to Chiron, drinking diet coke out of a can despite the early hour. Her eyes are still a bit unfocused, but when she sees me, she squints and stares.

I try to avoid her gaze, leaning up against a wall and trying to find the secrets of the universe hidden in my coffee.

"We have a prophecy," Chiron states. "So here is the part where we all try to make sense of it. But remember, prophecies do not always mean what you expect. Keep your minds open."

There's a half-second long pause.

"So… I may be crazy or just really desperate, but… 'Herald of the Sea?' That could only mean Kelp Head, right?" This comes from Thalia, who has never, in my mind, been crazy or desperate.

I hate to do this. I open my mouth to speak, but to everyone's surprise, Annabeth answers.

"Thalia, it could just as easily mean Akai. I want him back too, but I- we shouldn't get our hopes up." Her voice cracks and I almost lose it.

"What do you mean it could be Akai?" Thalia asks. "What's he got to do with it?"

I answer, because Annabeth looks close to tears and gods it hurts to see her like that, please no. "The name," I squeak. I take a deep breath. "The name," I say again. "Akai means 'of the sea.' It's, uh, Atlantian."

"Hawaiian," Annabeth says, for those who don't connect it.

"Yeah."

"You're a son of Poseidon, aren't you?"

"Um…"

"Damn, now, what are the odds of there being _two_ sons of Poseidon who are also Heralds?" Clarisse stalks over.

"Umm…"

"You know, _Akai_ , you sure sound a lot like Seaweed Brain. And, hey, you're probably early twenties, around his age. You look a lot like him too. Care to explain yourself, _Jackson_?"

"Ummm…"

"Oh, for gods' sake!" She raises a hand and, before I can stop her, yanks off the hood. A slight pause, a few gasps, and then-

"You bastard!"

Annabeth pushes Clarisse aside, grabs my wrist, and judo-flips me onto the floor on my back. Like old times, she pushes an arm against my throat and sits on my chest. "You have five seconds to explain yourself, Perseus Jackson!"

"Admittedly, not my best plan."

"Yeah, you think?!"

"Annabeth, get off of me."

"Why should I?"

"Because, first of all, you're hurting me." It is true; the weight on my chest is manageable, but awkward and doesn't really feel great. She gets off, without taking her eyes off me, and I stand. "What a waste of coffee," I mutter, referring to the mug that now lays shattered on the floor.

"Explain yourself. Why didn't you just reveal yourself yesterday? Why did you bother with a hood at all? Did you _really_ think that was going to work? Are you stupid?" She shouts at me with urgency, all the sadness in her eyes replaced with a cold, calculating fury.

"Listen. I have my reasons. First reason is that I do not feel particularly well-liked right about now, especially with the kind way Clarisse respected my personal space and the spot on judo-flip you just mercilessly demonstrated before asking questions. But hey, shoot first, ask questions later, right? While, I'll admit, you have a pretty good reason for hating my guts, I think I'm entitled to hate you back for the same reasons." She opens her mouth to speak and I put a hand over it. "Reason number two, I have a fuckton of enemies on Earth and other planets and it's always nice to be able to go places without being stabbed in the back. I don't plan on going out like Caesar. Reason C, I figured it'd be easier for everyone if I just waited until after this war was over before telling everyone. Akai can do dangerous, reckless shit that might end up getting him killed, but if Percy did the same stuff, he'd have angry demigods lecturing him about being more careful and yada yada yada. And…" I pause.

"And what?" she scowls at me.

"And to answer your question: no, I am not stupid. I told you before; I'm crazy. I am losing my mind, Wise Girl. And I don't want you to see me like this because I know I may seem fine right now, but I'm really not." My eyes drop to the floor. "Well," I say, trying my best to look awake and in control. "I have only one more thing to say to you all, and that is: I told you so." I pull my hood down over my head and leave the rec room with everyone staring holes into my back.

 **AN: Wow! Sorry this one is a little late coming, but it's also a bit longer. I hope you like this; let me know in the reviews! So, Akai's secret identity is revealed, but what will happen next? I mean, honestly, how long did anyone expect** _ **Percy**_ **to be able to keep a secret? And how about that Prophecy? I know, rhyming is not my strong suit, but I tried. Here's a fun thing for you guys to look up: the song Home by American Authors. I think of it as Percy's theme song. Love you guys! Until next time- serialsushi**


	6. Crazy

**AN: Wow, that last chapter was intense! Special thanks, to all of you who have reviewed; I doubt the updates would come so quickly if it weren't for you guys urging me on. I live on ramen noodles, a strong internet connection, and kind words. This story is pretty dark, but to quote a wise anonymous author, "Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy." PJO and HOO are owned by Rick Riordan and the cover art is owned by the lovely Viria.**

 _Annabeth, Camp Half-Blood, Rec Room_

Oh my gods, I am such an idiot. I gasp out a strangled, "Wait!" and rush towards the door. A strong arm and a soft voice stop me.

"Annie," the voice says. I know it's Luke without needing to turn around; he's the only one who has ever called me Annie. "Give him some time. You have to understand, Annie," he pleads, "he's not the same Percy you remember. He's had to deal with a lot these past years and… I know you don't want to believe this, but he is losing himself."

I turn around and face him, but for some reason, his face is blurry. I feel wetness on my cheeks and I realize that I started crying. "What's wrong with him?"

"You thought it was PTSD, right?" I nod, stupidly. "Well, that's probably part of it. But Akai has spent the last five years without getting a single night of good sleep. Can you imagine that? It can hardly be called sleep because he's always aware of everything. He closes his eyes and he doesn't get good dreams of visiting the ocean or whatever; he doesn't even get black nothingness. Instead, every night, he sees the deaths of everyone he loves. Over and over and over again. And it affects him in the daytime. He may have good days where he seems normal, like the old Percy is back. Then, the next day he could be completely different." Luke slows down and looks like he's about to cry too. "One minute, he's making dam jokes with Zoe, and the next, he's running down the hall checking everyone he sees to make sure everyone is still alive."

"Why would he hide from us though?" Grover says, and when I look over I see he's crying too, tears well up in his eyes and slide down his face.

"Percy isn't Percy anymore. And that's what he has the most trouble with, I think. Percy's life here was great and happy and he still sees himself as that guy, the hero who always saw the bright in life, who never let the monsters in his head get to him. And when he realizes that he's not that person anymore, it destroys him. He's still _trying_ to be that person, but on some level, he's realized that he _can't_ be. So he changed his name and hid his face. The face is the same, but the person is so different. He associates 'Percy' with someone that is sane and happy, but 'Akai' is always changing. Akai doesn't have the pressure to be like Percy, so it doesn't bother him so much when he changes day to day. Percy hides himself so that no one expects him to be like how he once was."

"He doesn't seem that crazy to me," Leo says.

"No. And a lot of the time, he doesn't. He's gotten very, very good at hiding it. And it's best to let him believe that he's doing a good job of hiding it. He's still trying to protect others by not making them worry about him. It's fucking tragic and if I could help him at all, I would, but there's really only one person who can help him, and that's him. He's going to send Tartarus back to la-la land or die trying."

"Would that fix him?" Clarisse asks.

"Maybe. It would definitely stop the nightmares and visions, with Tartarus being asleep and all. Whether he'll ever fully recover or not, who can say? It's been five years of constant psychological torture. Anyone else would have cracked by now."

"Chaos seemed fine."

"Chaos is a Primordial God. He doesn't need to sleep, so he stays awake all the time. That way, Tartarus can't get to him. The other Heralds…they were not so lucky. There was a time, in the beginning, when all the Heralds were together and helping each other and keeping up their hopes. But even with other people sharing your pain, it wears you down. Aaron would do anything _anything_ to get some release; he joined Tartarus' side so that the visions would stop. His betrayal made Kaelyn believe that everything was lost, that there was no hope left for them. She killed herself. And Leiko…" he falters. "Leiko saw her two friends leave and her mind couldn't handle it. She's only nine years old, dammit. And so Percy bears the weight for all of them, single-handedly training the army, going on missions, readying everyone for the day he'd have to face his tormentor and save everyone. He's never complained, at least not out loud, and he may never show it, but he's terrified of what might happen if he loses his mind completely."

"Shit, Luke. You wanna tell them my social security number, too?"

I whirl around and see Percy, my Percy, standing in the doorway, looking pained. I go up to him and open my mouth to speak, but he stops me.

"Just listen to me, _for once_. I am not sorry that I left. It was not the easiest decision of my life, but that's the choice I made and I stand by it. I doubt anyone could've made me stay once things started getting worse anyway. That doesn't excuse the way you all treated me though. I know we were all suffering, we lost good friends in that war, but I needed you to listen to me, and you didn't. So yeah, I left. I love you, and I love this place, and it's been hell without my Wise Girl, but you heard Luke. I may give him shit later, but he pretty much summed it all up. Yes, I was listening, you did say 'wait' after all. I'm crazy, and I might be crazy forever, and I don't want anyone to see me like that because that's not me. I'm sorry I deceived you, I'm sorry I hurt you, but I'm not sorry I left. So if you still want to hate me, you can join the club."

"Percy, I don't hate you. I'm so sorry, about everything." I can hear how pathetic and plain that sounds, but I can't think of anything to say. "I missed you," I say quietly.

"I missed you too, Annabeth." I can see the tears in his eyes, but he won't let them go. "Gods, this is so fucked up," he laughs.

"This is why I suggest copious amounts of liquor," Ethan says.

"Perhaps we could finish this meeting?" Chiron says, knowing that the meeting probably isn't going to continue. "We still have much to discuss-"

An Ares' kid bursts through the door. "Monsters at the barrier! Dracaena, Cyclopes, hell-hounds, and some weird shadow-spirit things I've never seen before. They're trying to get through the barrier; we need help!"

"Gather the soldiers," Percy says to Luke, sounding very in-control. "Squads Alpha, Delta, and Echo together. Squads Bravo and Charlie together. Let's move!"

The hood goes back over his head and he's gone again, and I'm left wondering if he's really here or if I'm hallucinating. I don't know which is worse.

 **AN: I felt like I had to continue last chapter a little bit. So maybe this will give you guys some more insight into Percy's mind and the depth of how much the nightmares affect him. Also, I gave a little bit about the three other Heralds, remember them. A bit about the pronunciations of Akai and Leiko: both are Hawaiian/Atlantian (I have this headcanon that Hawaii is actually Atlantis and that it resurfaced after being underwater for so many years) and Akai [Uh-Ki] (Short A-sound, long I-sound) means 'of the sea' and Leiko [Lay-Ko] (Long A-sound, long O-sound) means 'little flower.' Sorry the chapter is short and the author's notes are long, but I still hope you enjoyed. Bye~**


	7. Go!

**AN: Sorry about no update yesterday and the late one today. Yesterday I started my new job, and then I went to a party afterwards. Today, I've been helping my mom with an art project. It's been hectic. So, I kinda left you guys hanging. I hope this chapter makes up for it. PJO and HOO belong to Rick Riordan, the cover art belongs to Viria.**

 _Percy, Camp Half-Blood, Half-Blood Hill_

The squads move as a single unit, flawlessly merging and separating according to their superior officers' commands. We run together up the hill, a solid mass of gray-hooded soldiers; some are in armor and some are not, but all of us are armed. I do what I've been trained to do. I lead.

We pass over the barrier and meet the first wave of monsters. The clashing of metal on metal rings through the air, followed by hisses as my soldiers' weapons make contact with monsters, which dissipate. There are probably twice the amount of monsters than soldiers, but that hardly matters. Ahead of me, a Cyclops raises a club. I duck and roll, out of reach of the tree-sized weapon. I come up at a crouch, raise up, then run at it. It tries to reach for me, but is too slow. I slice its knee as I run past it through its leg. The injury sends it stumbling forward, cursing me, and it falls to the other knee. I turn around, jump onto its back and slice through its neck, cutting off its head.

I fall as the Cyclops dissipates, but land easily and start running towards my next targets, a group of four dracaena all fighting a lone soldier. The first and second don't even realize I'm there. By the time the last dracaena has turned around, the third has been killed by the soldier from my squad. The last one is quickly taken care of and the two of us run off to help more soldiers.

All around me, the army is doing what it does best; sending monsters back to their master. The three squads under my command are spread over the left flank, left forward, and center forward, while the two squads under Miles' command take the right forward and flank. We cut through Cyclopes, hell-hounds, and dracaena, but the shadowy figures, there are six, remain at a distance.

"Sir!" One of the soldiers to my right calls out. "Those shadow things are headed towards us. What are they?"

Too late, I realize.

"Fuck- they're Arai!" Have to think fast, before they get here. "Lieutenant Damian, take charge of Delta and Echo, finish here, and then get the wounded back to camp. Squad Alpha, to me!" Damian nods, then shouts out his own orders. "Squad Alpha, forward. Those are Arai, children of Nyx. They're spirits of curses, found in the darkest parts of the Pit. When you kill one, the curse rebounds on you. I want you to pair up. If you can, one of you should kill one, and then both of you fall back to join the other squads. Taking multiple curses could kill you, and one could gravely injure you. Stay with your partner at all costs. Once one of you kills it, the other will have to help you escape. Go!"

 **AN: I am so sorry that this one is so short, but it's really late here and I'm exhausted. Just a warning: I'll be spending tomorrow with my family and I may not get the chance to update. I wrote this very short chapter as more of a sneak peek because I knew I may not get the chance to post tomorrow and I didn't want to leave you with nothing until Monday. Please don't hate me; I'm doing my best. Bye~**


	8. Fire

**AN: I'm back kiddos! And I am terribly sorry that this chapter comes to you on Tuesday, not Monday, but as soon as I started getting a lot of writing ideas, my life got incredibly hectic. I guess that's just how the world works. PJO and HOO belong to Rick Riordan; the cover art belongs to Viria. Enjoy!**

 _Percy, Camp Half-Blood, Half-Blood Hill_

If I had to choose a way to die, I'd like to go out peacefully, in my own home, at like 90 or something. That's probably a death most people want. I know I'm a bit boring in that regard, but considering that I have the voice of Tartarus haunting my dreams, Chaos is a personal friend of mine, and I'm charging towards a spirit that will curse me and/or maim me as soon as I kill it, I'm alright with having a boring death.

However, as a demigod, I know that a boring death is not very likely.

Still, I run headfirst into danger and possible death.

I see two pairs team up on an Arai, quickly surrounding it. One of my soldiers drives his spear into the Arai's gut and lets out a bone-chilling shriek as the curse rebounds on him. He falls to his knees and his partner stays to help him while the other two run off to kill another Arai. I can't watch the two to make sure he gets to safety; I just have to trust his partner. If we weren't in eleven-man squads, I'd have a partner too, but hindsight is a learning tool.

To my left, I hear two screams, one after the other, and assume that two more Arai have been killed. I face my own.

I fear a lot of things. I know that that doesn't sound manly or heroic, but fuck being brave all the time. Without fear, there would be no bravery. Fear can be helpful, especially on the battlefield. Fearing death keeps you alive. Fearing the enemy makes you determined to win. I fear some normal things like dying and dentists and watching Tartarus destroy everything I love and have sworn to protect. I also fear a lot of not so normal things, such as sleep and vitamin supplements and slowly going crazy until my real friends abandon me and I only see them in hallucinations.

And I fear Arai. When Annabeth and I were in the Pit and the Arai attacked us, I truly believed that was where it was going to end. Annabeth was cursed and blind and believed I abandoned her. I couldn't help her because I was trying to fight off the Arai to keep them from destroying us. Because of my own selfishness, Bob left us. If Bob hadn't been the nicest titan ever born, he wouldn't have come back and saved our asses. And for all the help he gave us, he still had to stay behind and live in the Pit. We could have all died and it would have been all my fault. Annabeth's curse: my fault, Bob leaving: my fault, being awful and stupid and selfish and useless: all my fault. If I had been more careful and less impulsive, we may not have fallen into the Pit at all. And we never would have seen the Arai. And that scene wouldn't replay in my nightmares. Yeah, I fear Arai, and so should anyone with brain. They're evil and dangerous, the embodiments of curses that the dying cast on their killers.

Yes, I fear this monster in front of me, but that's not going to stop me from running it through. I hear more screams behind me, but I don't look back. The Arai moves quickly, moving further from the camp. I follow her. We move further and further from the others, but I don't really pay attention. She cannot be allowed to remain in the mortal world. The Arai are creatures of the Pit. Finally, she turns and looks at me with soulless, empty eyes.

"You have seen the horror of the Pit, hero. Give up; accept death. Wouldn't that be better?" Her voice rasps out, breathy and pained-sounding.

 _The last Arai I met said something similar._ "You know, I'm really tired of people telling me to accept my inevitable death," I mutter. I run forward and swing my sword, cutting the Arai in half.

 _Annabeth glared at me like she was going to punch me. And then she did something that surprised me even more. She kissed me._

" _Be careful, Seaweed Brain." She put on her hat and vanished._

 _I probably would've sat there for the rest of the day, staring at the lava and trying to remember what my name was, but the sea demons jarred me back to reality…_

 _The tallest one snarled. "What do we have here? A son of Poseidon?"_

" _Yes," another growled. "I can smell the sea in his blood."_

 _I raised Riptide. My heart was pounding…_

 _The tallest telekhine said, "Let us see how strong he is. Let us see how long it takes him to burn."_

 _He scooped some lava out of the nearest furnace. It set his fingers ablaze, but this didn't seem to bother him at all. The other elder telekhines did the same. The first one threw a glop of molten rock at me and set my pants on fire. Two more splattered across my chest. I dropped my sword in sheer terror and swatted at my clothes. Fire was engulfing me. Strangely, it felt only warm at first, but it was getting hotter by the instant._

" _Your father's nature protects you," one said. "Makes you hard to burn. But not impossible, youngling. Not impossible."_

 _They threw more lava at me, and I remember screaming. My whole body was on fire. The pain was worse than anything I'd ever felt. I was being consumed. I crumpled to the metal floor and heard the sea demon children howling in delight._

The memory fades but the feeling of burning remains. An inhuman scream is released from me. I sink to my knees, the curse of the telekhines burning my flesh. I can feel the heat, the flames as they lick up my arms, hands, and face, but they're not really there. The burning, that's real though, and I scream in agony, just like I did all those years ago. Shit, why did I let myself be taken so far away from my squad?

My skin is red and blistering quickly. If I don't get up now, I'll black out from the pain. I rise from my knees to a half-crouch and scream as the fire on my legs somehow increases. I turn around. I manage to stand, but the burning makes it so difficult and I can smell it and oh gods the pain.

"Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!" I shout, I scream incoherently. _Water_ , I think, _need water._ But gods, shit fuck, ugh it's so hard to concentrate on anything other than the pain. I'm back on the ground, and I think I've only managed a few steps. I wonder if this will be how I die. This is not how I want this to happen. But gods, I just want this pain to stop.

I hear someone shouting, but that may just be me.

I feel something cool running over my head and down my shoulders and the burning pain ebbs a little. Hot, wet tears are running down my cheeks. I'm shaking and screaming in pain.

Miles appears in my line of sight. He kneels in front of me, hood on, and puts my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. I jerk away from the touch. "Fuck," I mutter. I'm not screaming, but my whole body burns. The smell of my own flesh burning makes my stomach churn.

"Can you stand?" Miles asks. I nod sharply. He extends a hand to me, and I grab it, taking hold of his forearm. He pulls me up and I stand, only to sway and stumble. A cry escapes my lips. "Come on, we have to get you back to camp. I nod again, unable to say anything that would make any sense. He pulls me over and puts my arm around his shoulder and slips his other arm behind my back and underneath my arm.

I phase in and out of clarity as we walk slowly back to camp. My head droops onto my chest, and I almost stop, but another person comes over to my other side and helps me walk.

Somewhere further along, I start hearing voices and gasps of other demigods and soldiers. I must look like shit. Can't keep my head up, can barely walk, my arms are red and burned. I feel like shit, too, and I could care less what they think of me.

"Akai, you idiot! How could you fight an Arai alone?! Do you want to be killed?"

"Wan'ed togo ou' in a blazeof glory. Wise Girl," I mutter.

"Don't be a smart ass," she retorts. "Be careful next time. You're no use to anyone dead."

"Yesh, dear."

"Holy shit," someone (Will maybe) says. "Take him to the infirmary, fast. He'll go into shock soon."

"M'fine," I manage.

"Forget it, Akai," Miles says. "You're out of commission until you heal. I'm taking command; you can have it back when you're not slurring your speech."

We're at the infirmary now and they're laying me down on a cot. My hand flies up, faster than I would've thought possible, to cover my face. Luckily, I guess, the curse only burned my skin, not my clothes. Still, I don't want the hood to slip down and expose me.

"Relax, you're safe now," Annabeth says softly. I nod and close my eyes. There's a pinch in my arm as a needle slides in. Will is talking to Miles and Annabeth, but I can't make out the words. Someone takes my hand; then I drop off to sleep.

 **AN: Hope you guys liked this one, it was fun to write. Sorry that it came later than intended. I will try to update 3 times weekly,** _ **minimum**_ **, most likely on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Leave a review and tell me what you like to read!**


	9. Water

**AN:** **It's only been a few days, but it feels like a whole week since I've written anything. I guess it must feel longer to you guys, but thanks so much for being patient with me. Life has gotten increasingly busy for me, but I'm determined to see this to its end, however long that may take. Without much further ado, Riordan owns PJO/HOO and** _ **I**_ **own the cover art. Enjoy!**

 _Annabeth, Camp Half-Blood, Infirmary_

"There, that'll let him sleep for the rest of the day," Will says after injecting Percy with something.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Will looks at Luke questioningly. "I give it four hours, tops."

"What do you mean?"

"The nightmares, they'll wake him up soon enough, especially after that Arai."

"With that drug, he shouldn't be able to even dream. It should put him into a deep sleep, overriding the natural REM phase."

"Trust me, that won't work. In the first year, we must've tried everything in the universe to keep the nightmares away. No drug, spell, or coma could keep the nightmares away. No, he'll wake up soon." He sighs sadly, then adjusts Percy so that he's more comfortable. He picks up one of his arms and inspects the burns. "These are all over his body…" he says, more to himself than anyone else. "I need to get some salt water. If we treat these now, they may heal completely before he wakes up. But I have a feeling they're going to leave scars. Annabeth, stay with him for a moment, make sure no one sees his face."

He leaves, off to get water, I suppose. I watch his back as it disappears around the corner. I look back down at Percy, sleeping on the cot, in the infirmary, at Camp Half-Blood. I thought for a long time that I would never see him again. I'll be twenty-three on the twelfth. I have a Bachelor's degree in Architecture and Engineering and I'm going back to school in the fall to get my Master's. I've celebrated my twenty-first birthday by getting drunk with my friends. I've been on more demigod missions. I have a job; I pay bills; I do taxes. But Percy's never done any of that (well, maybe the getting drunk part). I wanted to do that with him though. He was supposed to be by my side through all of it, but when he needed me most, I just abandoned him.

Gods, I'm so stupid.

I clutch his hand in mine and wish so, so badly, that I could pull back his hood and look at his face, but I know he wouldn't want me to. I squeeze his hand and his whole body twitches in response. I wonder if he's already having nightmares. I feel tears well up in my eyes and I wipe them away in frustration.

I never used to cry so much.

"Do you think anyone saw us?" someone's voice asks.

Luke replies. "No, but if they did, tell them we need it for washing bandages. Thank you for your help."

Two voices reply in affirmative. Then, "He's going to be okay, right?"

I look up. Two soldiers are with Luke, and each of the three carries a bucket of what must be salt water. "He'll be fine. Hey, Will! Is there a curtain we can put around his bed? We need to get his clothes off so we can soak him and wrap up his worst burns."

"Yeah, just one sec."

"Um… acting Commander, should she be here, sir?" one of the soldiers asks.

"Just try to make me leave," I growl at him.

"Relax, Annie. No one's going to make you leave. Don't worry guys, she knows. She wouldn't betray him."

"Sorry, Miss, but I had to make sure. The Commander is very dear to all of us." They set down their water buckets near to the bed just as Will comes back with the curtains.

"It's fine." I say that, but I don't really feel fine. He's spent the past five years bonding with these people, and they all hold him in such high regard. It's selfish, but I wish he'd spent those five years with me. "Who are you?" I ask.

"Muto Rin," he says, lowering his hood and revealing his face. He's Japanese, probably a few years younger than me, and has dark brown eyes and hair. "Ranked Captain, Squad Alpha. Best spear-wielder in the Army."

"Seth McDougal," the other says, revealing sandy brown hair and bottle-green eyes. "Archer, Squad Alpha."

"I see. I'm sure you're both very capable soldiers, if he placed you under his direct command."

"Thank you," Rin says. He then repeats it in Japanese and smiles. "Acting Commander, you should really be out with the rest of the soldiers. We'll make sure he heals, and when he wakes up, he'll learn to not go in without a partner again."

"Thank you. Listen to Annabeth and Will, they know what they're doing." Luke smiles at me. "Come find me as soon as he wakes up. I want to give him a piece of my mind."

"Yes, sir."

"Great, see you later." Luke turns and leaves.

I let go of Percy's hand and begin to remove his hood.

"Chottomatte! Wait!" Rin grabs my hand. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm removing his hood. I already know who he is, probably more than you do, and if we don't remove his hood, we can't help him. So let go of me."

"Sorry," he says.

I don't reply, I just take off Percy's hood. My heart drops when I see the damage. While it's nothing compared to his arms, the burns are still horrifying. I take off the hood completely and drape it over a chair. I take off the boots, socks, belt and sword, and the brace on his arm. The damage is significant and also really, really gross. His skin kind of reminds me of a hotdog held over the campfire for too long. Well, I never really liked hotdogs anyway, not since I saw the "How It's Made" episode on them.

"I need one of you to hold him while I take his shirt off. We have to be quick; I don't want him to wake up in pain."

Seth moves behind Percy and lifts him up under the armpits while I work his shirt off, trying to do it so that it doesn't hurt him. If he's in pain, he doesn't show it. Again, I wonder if he's in a nightmare. It doesn't seem like it, but how would I know?

"Okay, now the pants," I say.

"Um… are you sure?" Seth asks.

I scowl at him. "Yes, I'm positive. I've seen legs before, idiot. For that matter, I've seen a penis before, but I wasn't planning on taking his underwear off, just in case he wakes up. Now, help me, or I'll get someone else."

"Sheesh, Annabeth, you don't have to scare them to death," Will says.

"We only have a few hours; we don't really have time to think about his modesty."

With some maneuvering, we get Percy's pants off. Will hands each of us a rag and we immediately go to work soaking Percy in salt water. It's so gross. Seth looks like he's about to throw up. Pieces of burnt skin are coming off on the rags and all of his skin is raw and red. Will slowly pours some of the water over him. The water works, some places are already showing signs of healing.

"We should turn him over," Will suggests, "to get his back."

We wordlessly turn him over, shifting the wet sheet and being as careful as possible. I gasp when I see his back. There's a beautiful black tattoo going from the nape of his neck to the small of his back. It looks like an arrow, with eleven circles lined up along it. Two of the circles have rings around them and another has a smaller circle slightly to the side of it.

"How was this not burned away?" I think aloud.

"Beats me," Seth says. He starts wiping Percy's burned skin. "He got that a couple years ago. Pretty awesome, isn't it?"

"What does it mean?"

"Oh, well, those are the eleven planets with gods and goddesses. They're actually lined up straight, despite being in different galaxies and being light years away from each other. Those eleven planets are the capitols of the eleven Sectors that the universe is divided into. Chaos' Army watches over them all. Here is Earth," he says, pointing at one nondescript circle in the center of Percy's back. "It's the capitol of Sector Five."

"What's this one?" I ask, pointing to the small one off to the side of one of the planets, Sector Nine, I think.

"That's where the Army's headquarters are; see the little Chaos symbol inside it?" I nod, recognizing the circle with eight arrows branching off from it. "It's in Sector Nine, though most of us are from Earth."

I nod and pour water over the tattoo.

Once we're out of water, Will mixes some sweet-smelling ointment and puts it over the worst of Percy's burns, which are quickly healing. Then, we carefully wrap those areas in clean, white bandages. We opt not to put his shirt and pants back on just yet but instead drape a sheet over him from the bellybutton down, and we put his hood back on for him. It's strange, seeing him shirtless but with the hood on.

"Thanks for your help, you guys," Will says brightly (Get it? He's a son of Apollo, bright, the sun is bright. Yeah, I know I'm not funny, children of Athena rarely are). The three of them gather up the buckets and rags and walk off.

I sigh and start to gather Perce's clothes up from the floor. I put his socks inside of his boots and put them at the end of the cot. When I grab his pants, something falls out of the pocket and hits the floor with a soft _chink_. I pick it up and immediately know what it is.

Six clay beads represent the six years Percy spent at Camp Half-Blood. The most recent one is half orange, half purple, and has the Roman numerals for seven on it in black. I look at it fondly. But there's something here that wasn't before. On the black cord, hanging between his third and fourth beads, is a small, woman's ring. It's gorgeous. The band is made out of celestial bronze, and in the center is a small, white pearl with a tiny emerald on each side.

I get the feeling I shouldn't be seeing this.

I'm about to put the necklace back in the pocket when a bandaged hand stops me. I gasp and look over at Percy, who is trying to sit up in bed.

"Lay back, Seaweed Brain, you're still injured." I push him back gently until he's lying down again.

He chuckles. "Thanks for patching me up," he says in his signature charmingly playful tone, like I put a Hello Kitty Band-Aid over a scraped knee.

He takes his hood off.

I fumble for words, seeing that stupid cocky grin and those mischievous sea-green eyes. Ugh, get a grip, Annabeth! "Uh, this fell out of your pocket," I tell him. Idiot!

He holds out his hand for it and I let it drop into his bandaged palm. "Thanks." He touches the ring gently. I gulp. Why is my throat so tight? I was never nervous around him! I kissed him first, told him I loved him first. I've always been comfortable around him, so why am I getting butterflies now? Gods, I think I may actually be blushing. What is this?

I look back over at him and see that he's managed to sit up and move the pillow so that his back can rest against the wall. He grimaces a little and shifts until he's comfortable.

"Are you in pain?"

"Not too much, kinda feels more like sunburn now. A bad one, but still better than before."

I know I shouldn't say anything at all, but they words come rushing out unbidden. "It's a beautiful ring," I say. Aghhh! Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Ah, yeah, well…" he seems as lost for words as I am.

Luckily, Will, Rin, and Seth come in to break the awkward tension. I stand and gather up the rest of the laundry off the floor, fold them, and place them at the foot of the bed.

"Hey, Muto," Percy says. "Hey, McDougal, Will. Uh, thanks guys, you saved my ass. Admittedly, not my best plan." It seems like that may be his most common saying.

"Uh huh, tell it to Miles. He's gonna ream you once you get out of the infirmary." Rin sits down at one of the chairs.

"In fact," Seth says, "I'll go get him now. He told us to find him when you woke up."

"Your loyalty is always appreciated, McDougal."

"Of course," Seth says. He salutes Percy, doing so rather dramatically, then marching incredibly stiffly out of the infirmary.

"How are the others?" Percy asks Rin.

"They're all fine. Most of the curses weren't too serious, and their partners got them all out and to safety."

"Good." Percy smiles. "Think I could make a run for it before Miles gets here?"

Rin rolls his eyes.

 **AN: Okay, so this is actually coming to you guys on Saturday. It is now 12:46 in the AM and I'm dead tired. I should've started this way earlier, but I had work and then almost forgot about it. I'm a professional procrastinator. However, as I'm sure you've noticed, the cover has changed! That's my peace offering to you guys for being so late with this upload. It's a sketch of Percy's tattoo and the Chaos symbol, signed by yours truly.**

 **A quick note on the name choice for Muto Rin. When I lived in Japan, my sensei's name was Muto Ayako, and she is a beautiful, amazing woman and a brilliant teacher. She is very, very old, but I am sure she will live to be a hundred or more. The name Muto translates into "warrior wisteria" in kanji and I think it very much suits her. I hope it suits Rin as well.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read this; I hope you enjoyed!**


	10. Duel

**AN: Hey! New cover! I won't prattle on like I usually do, I know most of you skip this bit anyway! PJO and HOO are owned by Rick Riordan. Sorry for the wait, enjoy!**

 _Annabeth, Camp Half-Blood, Woods_

Needless to say, Percy did not spend much longer in the infirmary. As soon as Seth left, he got up and started putting his clothes back on, with only the occasional hiss of pain. When Luke returned, Percy stood there silently and let him rant. After that, Luke just sighed and asked:

"What am I going to do with you?"

To which Percy smiled and replied, "Feed me."

"Come on, _Commander_ , your troops are waiting."

The soldiers left the infirmary and I've hardly seen him in the three days since. In these last three days, it feels like everything has changed. Percy quickly set up round-the-clock watch for the entire perimeter of camp and he and his soldiers set up an alarm bell system for communication between the guards. On top of the extra security, each of the Army's squad leaders has taken 'x' amount of cabins under their wing to train for combat. Nico, Percy, and I have also been training campers to deal with the Arai.

I've been having this huge, stupid internal conflict with myself about whether I should try to get Percy alone to talk to him. Part of me needs to give him a better apology, and I also want an apology from him. The other part of me tells me to woman-up and to respect his distance. For now, I'll woman-up. He's busy, I'm busy. Preparing for war takes priority over feelings.

Malcolm is walking back to camp with me after a long four hours of being on watch together. We talked about some battle strategies and what 'Akai' has been doing with training and battle preparations. "I'd bet you a drachma that guy is a son of Athena," Malcolm had said after we debated a bit about some attack plans and defensive strategies Akai had started teaching. "I don't believe that he could come up with something that brilliant from experience alone." I took him up on his bet, holding back snorts of laughter. If Percy is a son of Athena, I'm a guinea pig.

As we exit the woods, a figure runs past us in a blur. None of the alarms are sounding, so it can't be a monster attack. I wave down the next person to come round the corner. It's Lee Fletcher.

"What's going on?" Malcolm asks.

"Some Ares kid challenged a soldier to a duel! He accepted and they're about to fight in the arena; everyone's going to watch." He says it quickly then runs off towards the arena.

Despite being exhausted, Malcolm and I start running too.

When we get there, the arena is packed. We rush over to where the Cabin Six usually sits and catch our breath. It seems like everyone is here, aside from those on watch duty. I look around for Percy, but neither he nor Luke is here. I guess they're on watch together, though it seems a little strange for Commander and First Lieutenant to be on guard together. They're probably doing Army stuff.

Standing over by the Ares kids, Sherman is sauntering around, his chest all puffed up with pride.

Though I would love to see a camper beat one of the soldiers, I highly doubt Sherman has the ability. He's a great warrior, yeah, but he's also hilariously stupid. And I haven't seen anywhere near that kind of stupidity from the army. Chaos said that he brought in the best of the best, and I believe that.

Sherman is saying something about a "stupid Asian prick" when Rin walks into the arena.

"Finally! I thought you weren't going to show up!" Sherman smiles broadly at his opponent.

"You mean you hoped."

"Big words for a little man. You sure you wanna get your ass kicked in front of all these people?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing!"

"Bring it on!"

Chiron intervenes. "Excuse me. As he was the one who was challenged, Muto Rin will choose the weapon they will be fighting with. The rules are: no killing or serious maiming, the first one to submit will be the loser. Are there any questions? No? Good. Rin, weapon?"

"Spear," he says without hesitation.

Campers 'ooh' at that. Ares' children are powerful with any weapon, but are particularly gifted with spears. Rin retrieves his spear from another soldier, who punches him in the shoulder playfully. Sherman grabs one off the weapons rack at the end of the arena.

"Fighters ready? Begin!"

Rin stays back and lets Sherman rush at him. Rin sidesteps and uses the butt of his spear to smack Sherman in the stomach. Sherman lets out a little _whoosh_ of air, but spins quickly and recovers, blocking Rin's next strike. Rin uses the block to his advantage and tries to get under Sherman's guard, but Sherman moves backwards and swipes for Rin's feet.

They continue, back and forth, all over the arena.

Sherman slips, accidentally letting Rin cut his left hand by sliding his blade down the shaft of Sherman's spear while Sherman was trying to block a feigned head strike.

"Getting a little sloppy, son of Ares. Take the elevator and _get on my level._ "

"That elevator only goes down, soldier!"

"Aw, so sad that you're already at your best and you still can't hope to beat me."

Sherman gets a lucky jab at Rin's leg, which quickly starts bleeding. "You're gonna regret acting so tough when you're on your knees."

"Oh, I think I just won a bet. I figured that's the way you swing, but you're not really my type."

This sets Sherman into a rage. He starts attacking Rin with all he's got, and Rin does the same. For a long time, it doesn't look like there's going to be a clear winner, but with an expertly timed feign and attack, Rin swipes his blade across Sherman's chest, leaving a shallow gash.

"Oh, come on. They led me to believe you were better at this!"

"I'm gonna kick your teeth in!"

"Ooh! Scary!"

They're so absorbed by each other, they don't notice the hooded figure striding onto the battlefield. In two quick motions, Percy grabs both of their spears and rips them out of their hands, disarming the two idiots. Percy uses the shock to sweep Sherman off his feet, and then Percy turns to face Rin.

"Explain yourself, Muto."

Rin snaps out of his shock. "Sir, he challenged me to-"

"I don't give two shits about whether he challenged you to a duel! You deliberately disobeyed my orders!"

"Sir, with all due respect, he insulted the army and he insulted my pride!"

"Oh, your pride?! How will your pride feel when I send you back to Domum for insubordination?"

"Sir, you can't do that!"

"Oh? I _can't_? I am your superior, Muto, and you should feel incredibly lucky that I don't want to fill out the paperwork for a court marshalling. We are at war and you want to compare dick sizes? These people are our allies! We need them to fight _with_ us not against us, dammit!" Rin opens his mouth to speak, but Percy beats him to it. "I will not be sending you to Domum, Muto. No, I have a better punishment. You are going to tell them all who your godly parent is."

Rin looks at him with complete and utter horror written all over his face. I hear other soldiers gasp.

"No," Rin says quietly.

"Well, maybe I do have time for a court marshalling!" Percy says cheerfully.

"Wait- fine!"

"What's that?"

"I'll do it, sir."

"That's what I like to hear. Go on," Percy gestures to the arena.

"I'mmasonofvskngk." Rin grumbles.

Percy smacks him with the butt of his spear.

"Ow fuck! What the hell, Akai?" Percy raises the spear again. "Fine! Shit! I'm a son of Venus."

The arena is silent for a minute, then Sherman and the rest of the Ares cabin burst into laughter. Some of the other cabins fall into laughter as well, including some from Athena cabin.

"Quiet!" Percy shouts. The laughter is choked back. "Aeneas, Julius Caesar, Silena Beauregard, Piper McLean. Children of the goddess of love can be just as powerful as children of the god of war. Parentage is not something you can choose. Grow up and learn to live with it, Muto." Silence. "Now, you two, go switch out watch with whoever is guarding Thalia's Pine. Spend some quality time together."

"Oh, come on! Haven't I been punished enough?!"

"That is an order, Muto Rin, and it would be in your best interest to obey."

"Why me?" Sherman grumps. "I'm not one of your soldiers you can order around, you know!"

Percy whips around and closes the distance between them. "Yes! Thank the gods that you are not one of my soldiers, because if you were, I would make your life a living hell. I could train a monkey to be a better soldier than you! You've got some courage and skill, but you use your parentage for intimidation. You're not a hero; you're an asshole, and it's not a secret."

"Oh, yeah? You use your status for intimidation, hypocrite! You're doing it right now!"

Percy chuckles. Then he says darkly, "Am I intimidating you?" A pause. "I'm using my status for its intended use, to make sure that punks like you remember that we're all on the same team here."

"You don't scare me. Who's your parent, then? Since apparently it doesn't matter."

"It _doesn't_ matter," Percy says. "I'm a son of Poseidon."

You could hear a pen drop in the silence of the arena.

I put my hand out, palm up, and Malcolm places a drachma in it, still gaping like a dying fish.

 **AN: Ooh! Hope you liked the chapter, sorry that it's so late and that it's a little short. Thank you all so much for your support! You guys mean a lot to me. Special thanks to Rhino109 for being cool and motivating me to get this chapter done.**

 **Also, I owe you guys an apology for not updating when I said I was going to, that's not cool of me. So, once again, my apology is in the form of a new cover. Like the last one, I drew this (with references and a lot of luck) and have uploaded it here for you guys to enjoy. It feels a bit weird drawing fanart for my own fanfiction, but it helped me to be able to step away from writing but still be productive for Again. I hope you like it.**


	11. Earth Shaker

**AN: And we're back to Percy's POV! Thanks so much for your reviews! You guys are amazing. Riordan owns the PJO and HOO series. I drew the cover. Enjoy!**

 _Percy, Camp Half-Blood, Arena_

"You don't scare me. Who's your parent, then? Since apparently it doesn't matter." Sherman looks like an idiot, standing there all self-important and reveling in what he thinks is going to be some big reveal that makes me look like a weakling. Who does he think my godly parent is? Aphrodite because I defended Muto? Someone else? Why does it matter?

"It _doesn't_ matter," I say. Now I've done it. Shit shit shit! Ugh, kill me now. Why did I open my stupid mouth? But I have to answer: "I'm a son of Poseidon."

It's dead silent. I shit you not, I see money change hands. I see the Stolls start collecting and I wonder how in the hell… oh, wait, of course they knew, they were both at the meeting. Dirty cheats.

"You've gotta be shitting me," someone says. "You have _got_ to be _shitting_ me."

Out of the silence, an eruption of questions arises. Everyone is talking at once and shouting and asking questions and I am very quickly developing a migraine. Time to bail.

"Where are you going?" dozens of voices ask.

"To find some goddam peace and quiet."

"Wait just a minute! You owe us an explanation!"

"Do I?"

"Uh, yes!" I locate the voice; it's Malcolm; he's sitting next to Annabeth.

"That was a rhetorical question. I don't owe you shit."

"You can't just drop that bomb and then leave!"

"Are you going to stop me?"

"Maybe I couldn't stop you by myself, but a few of us together could."

My soldiers are looking at me anxiously, as if waiting for me to explode.

I sigh. "What do you want to know?"

"How do we know you're really a son of Poseidon?"

"Seriously? Ugh, okay, fine. Watch."

I concentrate, feel a slight tug; I take all the pressure that's building in my chest and send it out through the soles of my feet. Then, I feel the ground beneath my feet shift and shudder, then crack and splinter. Spider web cracks appear all over the arena, originating from the small crater I'm standing in. The stadium seats shake with the impact and Sherman is knocked completely off his feet (again). The small earthquake stops. I ignore the stares.

"Happy now?"

"What- what did you do?"

"I made a mini earthquake, duh."

"But- how does that prove you're Poseidon's son? He's the god of the ocean."

"Yeah, and earthquakes. Poseidon, Lord of the Oceans, Storm Bringer, Earth Shaker, Father of the Year."

"What?"

"How?" Chiron says, approaching me. "No demigod child of Poseidon has _ever_ had that power before. We thought it was impossible."

"Does Poseidon know you?" Malcolm asks.

"I was claimed at one point, but he doesn't know who I am now. He probably thinks I'm dead." I shrug nonchalantly (vocab word!).

"How long ago did you live? The first time, I mean."

"That is a very rude question. You can't just ask someone when they died, Karen." I see Annabeth roll her eyes at my reference. I was the one who made her watch that movie; she hadn't seen it before.

"Poseidon can't have had many sons. Who are you?"

"Akai."

"You know that's not what I mean!" Idiot.

Ugh, this has all gone to hell. Please, just drop me in the River Lethe and be done with me. I am so fucked.

And then _Hermes,_ of all people, appears by my side. Seriously though, teleporting must be an insanely convenient power!

"Commander Akai, you and Lord Chaos are wanted in a small council meeting." He looks around at everyone. "Uh… what's going on?"

"This kid is a son of Poseidon!" someone shouts.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, _it doesn't matter!_ " I shout. A water cooler explodes and I think the sky is darker.

"Um… on second thought, I'm going to bring the council here!" He's off before I can shout at him to not.

Seconds pass.

Hermes appears again, and is followed shortly after by the other Olympians and some other minor gods and goddesses.

"Seriously?" I ask Hermes.

My father pushes his way past the other gods. "A-are you really my son?"

"No, I'm Mufasa's." I say flatly. He just looks at me strangely. "Oh, fuck. Yes. Actually, I am."

"When, uh, when did you, er?"

"Die?" I ask. "Right now. I am currently dying. I asked you people to leave me alone, just for the remainder of the war, and you didn't. And now I'm dying a painful, embarrassingly unheroic death. I asked you not to questi-" My migraine gets worse with each word.

"Who are you?" Poseidon interrupts my rant and steps closer to me.

No. Nope. Agh! My head is _killing_ me right now. "Whoa, there. Personal space, please."

Poseidon's face hardens a bit, in determination, I guess. He takes another step forward and I take a step back.

"Which one of my sons are you?"

"Akai!" My head snaps around and I see Miles enter the arena. He takes in the scene before him. "Oh, shit."

I don't know exactly where the anger is coming from today. It's just one of those days. Having Tartarus mess with your mind like it's Play-doh messes up everything. Emotions, thought processes, everything. I see my dad, standing there with hope written all over his face, and I get angry.

"I know who you want me to be, but I'm sorry to disappoint."

"So, you're not…?"

"No. And from what I've heard, I wouldn't want to be. You people used him and then threw him out like garbage. I can sympathize."

He cringes. "Were you planning on telling me that you were my son?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why would I?"

"Because I'm your father?"

"Ooh, we're share blood. Big deal."

"How were you able to cause an earthquake? You shouldn't be able to do that. _None_ of my children have ever been able to do that, not even…"

"Look, I've had a long time to master this, but as for how I'm able to, well, I guess it's just my luck."

"Luck?"

"Yeah, _luck_. Bad luck, in my honest opinion. It must be a fucking talent, to have this much bad luck."

"Who are you?" he says.

"Back off, Brine Breath, unless you don't think you'll need my soldiers' help in the war."

He steps forward again; "Show your face," he says.

"How about no?" My voice is hard, final, and I'm grateful because my head feels like it's going to split apart.

His face changes. He scowls at me. "Show your face."

"I won't."

"This is your last chance. Who are you? Show your face, demigod." Waves are crashing louder, and the sky has darkened to an ugly gray-green.

"What are you going to do? Kill me?"

His eyes darken; he takes a fighting stance and levels his trident at my chest. "Remove your hood."

"No." I draw my sword and the celestial bronze- imperial gold fused blade gleams. _Anaklusmos_ remains hidden in my pocket. I hear a thundering of footsteps behind me. The sound of fifty-odd pairs of combat boots coming down off the stadium seats to my defense fills me with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Miles stands next to me with his hood up; his sword is drawn.

Poseidon lowers his trident. I hear the arena breath again.

"Akai," Athena says, stepping forward to try and salvage this mess. "Forgive the impertinence. Do we still have an alliance?"

"We do." I sheath my sword.

She nods.

I turn around and see my comrades behind me. All of them have their hoods up out of respect, and all of them have their weapons drawn. I smile, and I know that's all they can see from under my hood. I don't thank them, not aloud. I salute them instead. They salute back, using the formal bow for superiors.

"What'd I miss?" Chaos' voice appears off to my left.

 **AN: Well, did you enjoy it? Let me know in the reviews! I actually had** _ **two**_ **versions of this chapter, and eventually decided that I like this version better. I know some of you wanted Percy to be revealed, but I couldn't spoil something that big this early in the game ;)**

 **I know this one is mostly dialogue, but I figure you guys won't mind. Also, I would like to explain Percy's potty mouth. That's my fault. I have a terrible mouth and I may or may not be basing his dialogue off of shit I would say. Sorry, not sorry. Love you all~**


	12. Training

**AN: So, this chapter jumps from one scene to the next, following the course of an entire day. It's a lot of character building, but (of course) is still plot relevant and may or may not ;) have clues for the prophecy and how this whole war is gonna go down. I tried to make this funny, so I guess we'll see. Anything you recognize belongs to Rick Riordan. Enjoy!**

 _Percy, Camp Half-Blood, Cabin Area_

"RISE AND SHINE, CUPCAKES!" I shout through the camp, waking up everyone within earshot. There's a Monster energy drink in my left hand and a steaming mug of black coffee in my right. I take a swig from one, immediately chasing it down with the other. Admittedly, not my best plan. But, I didn't get any sleep last night. At _not_ from lack of trying. I tossed and turned until maybe two a.m. At that point, I just admitted defeat, got up, and made myself a cup of coffee.

"WAKE UP, MAGGOTS! IF THIS WERE AN ARMY, THEY WOULD HAVE SLAUGHTERED YOU ALREADY! YOU THINK YOUR BARRIERS ARE GOING TO PROTECT YOU?! THINK AGAIN!" I smile wickedly.

"Akai, you ass." Miles stumbles out of his tent. "Seriously, it's _four_ in the _fucking_ morning!" At this, the other assembled demigods, all shaking off drowsiness, scowl at me in agreement.

"Aw, it is? Did I wake you from a nice dream?"

"Why?" Will moans pathetically. "The sun isn't even up. Why would you do such an evil thing?" Nico is standing next to him, wearing black pajamas with skulls and a much wrinkled, oversized gray t-shirt, and it does not escape my notice that they both came out of the Hades cabin. I chuckle and stare at my coffee.

"Commander," Solani says, "how many cups of coffee have you had? And what is that awful-smelling green drink?"

"Three cups of coffee and half a Monster." I smile wide as the groans increase in volume. "Here, try it. You'll like it."

"Don't do it!" Damian warns her.

She takes the can and drinks. As soon as it hits her tongue, she spews it out. She coughs and wipes her mouth. "How can you drink that?! Is it even safe?"

"Well, you're not supposed to have more than four a day, so probably not. But my record is seven, and I think I can beat that."

She involuntarily takes a step back. "Gods help us all."

"NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION," I scream at the top of my lungs, making many sleepy campers flinch. "WE WILL BE DOING TRAINING EXERCISES ALL DAY! FIRST THING'S FIRST: RUN! THREE LAPS AROUND CAMP, THEN BREAKFAST. LAST PERSON BACK GETS NO BREAKFAST!"

I set my coffee mug and Monster can down on a nearby bench, next to the hearth.

I smile. I just love my job. "GO!" I take off running, down to the beach. My soldiers waste no time running to follow me, and everyone else does the same after a moment of "Is this guy for real?"

It's going to be a long day for some people.

* * *

I am not the first back to breakfast, but certainly within the top ten. First place is a tie between one of the soldiers in Squad Bravo, a girl named Fleta, daughter of Mercury, and a son of Hermes, named Oliver. The Roman and Greek seem to be developing a friendship over their mutual love of an activity that most people avoid like the plague. Annabeth arrives shortly after me and glares at me with a fury I've seen before, when I once accidentally woke her up too early in the morning. She has a strict "not-until-six" policy when it comes to waking up, which contradicts most of her siblings' "oh-boy-three-a.m.!" attitude. All of my soldiers, as well as the veteran demigods, did very well in the exercise, coming back quickly and then slumping onto benches at the dining pavilion.

Everyone sits at their respective tables, eating everything they can get their hands on.

The last back is a girl, a daughter of Hypnos who apparently has narcolepsy. She fell asleep halfway through the run and was woken up by a kind nymph. This mumbled excuse was given while staring at the breakfast buffet laid out.

"Hungry?" I ask.

She looks at me fearfully, not denying it.

"You came in last because of a disability," I say quietly. "I know better than anyone how hard it is to even try when there's a huge possibility of failing. Don't worry about it on the battlefield; you have friends and family here that will do their best to keep you safe should the need arise. For now, go get some breakfast."

She brightens, and then she does something unexpected. She salutes and bows, like any one of my soldiers would. I smile and salute back politely. I return to my coffee feeling a little… lighter maybe?

* * *

"Hand to hand combat is incredibly useful on the battlefield! If you lose your weapon, you must not allow yourself to be defenseless. You have the ability to protect yourself; it's just a matter of knowing what to do. I want you to get in groups according to height. Short, average, tall. Okay?"

After a few confusing minutes, everyone is in a group. I move a few people around, taking an average person from the short group and a short person from the average group.

"In hand to hand combat, height and weight are two of the biggest factors. After that, speed, strength, and agility. Typically, people who are tall and heavy will have the advantage of strength, but a short and light person can beat them with speed and agility. Success in a hand to hand fight is all about being able to use your abilities to your greatest advantage."

"Donovan," I say. "Come here?" Donovan is in Squad Delta; he's the tallest and strongest of all of my soldiers and he's one of the best at hand to hand. "Lieutenant Angela, you too." Bianca is short, lithe, and very agile.

Donovan and Angela are actually very good friends. They met through Damian (Donovan's superior officer and Angela's fellow Lieutenant) and became friends through shared experiences. Both of them had lived in the Lotus Hotel and Casino for decades. Donovan is a son of Ares who had PTSD really bad after WWII and went into the Lotus to get away from it. Bianca, of course, was sent there by Hades to avoid being killed by Zeus after the war. When Chaos began looking for soldiers for the army, one of his first stops was the Lotus Hotel because so many demigods from different eras had been trapped there, forgotten by the gods. So, the two of them are from the same era and both spent time living with the Lotus Eaters. They would make a cute couple despite a few years age difference, according to like eighty percent of the Army, but they're both too proper to be anything more than friends (for now).

But when they fight, they really push each other. It's almost beautiful to watch, the way Bianca uses her speed to avoid Donovan's incredible strength and reach. They're currently tied for wins and losses, and I know they've been looking to fight again.

I take a long drink of coffee, the Monster long gone. "Donovan and Angela are both experts at hand to hand. Watch carefully how they use their strengths, and try to see what you could apply to your own fighting style." Donovan and Angela get rid of their weapons and get into fighting stances. "Ready?" Nods. "Go!"

* * *

It was awesome. Donovan won, after a long and difficult battle. Bianca got a little too close and he grabbed her round the waist and flipped her over his shoulder, sending her face-first into the dirt. She laughed it off and he helped her up.

"Alright, kiddos! Find yourself a partner in your height group and get into a fighting position; wait for my mark." A moment or so of running around. "Ready? Go!"

Within seconds, the arena is filled with the sounds of grunts, taunts, and yelling. I launch myself at Seth, who's pretty even with me in height and weight, but stronger and slower.

Fighting continues until lunch and everyone's had a few different partners. I sit down next to Luke and watch with satisfaction as my cup magically fills itself with black coffee. Luke scowls at my choice of drink (and probably the lack of food, too) but says nothing. He and the rest of the army know better than to question my eating habits. Some days I don't eat. It's kind of hard to keep anything down when you're constantly seeing images of blood and gore. I've never really been squeamish, but some days I just can't bring myself to eat. Other days, I eat like I've been starving for six months.

Frank comes and sits down next to me. "Are you on steroids or something? I've never seen anyone take down Clarisse that fast" He punches my arm playfully.

"I have," Annabeth says with a smirk. "A twelve-year-old Percy Jackson once blasted her in the face with toilet water, flooding the bathroom in the process."

"Seriously?!" Leo looks up from the hat he's been constructing out of spoons. "That's awesome!"

I glance over at Clarisse, who glares at me, as if she could scare me. I turn back to Annabeth. "I think I'm liking this brother of mine more and more."

Clarisse snorts. "Of course you would."

"I'd love to see what you're like when you don't have an army backing you up. I bet the second you see Tartarus, you piss yourself and run screaming like a little girl." Sherman sneers.

Didn't I teach this guy a lesson? Oh, right, he's a son of Ares; he's stupid. "My nine-year-old kid sister has more courage in her little finger than you have in your whole body. Why don't you just shut the fuck up about things you know nothing about?"

"You think you're so tough? You're just another demigod. So, you founded an army? Big deal, the Romans did that too, you don't see them strutting around like they own the place, like they're better than everyone."

"Three things wrong. I didn't found the army, Chaos did, and I was appointed Commander because I am best-suited for the job and because I have more reason than anyone to want to kill Tartarus. I do not strut around like I own this place. I was asked to train you, to ready you for war, and that's what I'm doing. If you don't like my methods, maybe you'd rather throw your lot in with Tartarus. Also, I am not just another demigod. Thanks to the worst luck in the world, I'm a Herald, and you should be thankful I even stepped foot on this planet, let alone offered my help."

"Oh, and we're soooo grateful to you for that!" Sarcasm is not this guy's strong suit. "Thank you so much for coming to save- ugh!"

Clarisse slams her elbow into her brother's gut. He gasps for air and wheezes slightly, ugly brown eyes bulging out of his red face. He looks at her with confusion and anger.

"Shut the fuck up, Sherman. He's right. We should be thankful. He may have kicked my ass today, but that just proves he knows what he's doing. We all heard the prophecy; Akai is probably going to die in this war and he's here trying to make sure that we don't."

" _Beware Chaos Soldier, the enemies of your past/Fear not or this battle shall be your last…_ " someone helpfully supplies.

"No offence to Apollo or the Spirit of Delphi or the Oracle, but these prophecies are getting a little heavy-handed if you ask me. You know how many prophecies have told me outright that I was going to die? Plenty. And I'm still here. Besides, I'm not exactly the only Chaos Soldier, am I?" Luke smiles and waves.

"He's right," Annabeth says. "Only the first line directly addresses Akai at all. _'The Herald of the Sea returns to the West'._ "

"Not that I'm stupid enough to believe I'm invincible. I know I could die in this war; I'm up against a Primordial god for fuck's sake. But if I go, I'm taking Tartarus out with me."

"You're not going to die, Commander," Angela says. "You promised Leiko you wouldn't die."

I grimace. "No. I promised Leiko that I would try my best. Not the same thing."

"It is to her."

"Yeah, I know."

"Who's Leiko?" an Aphrodite girl asks. Her eyes brighten. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Uh, no. Leiko is my sister, adopted."

"You wouldn't know she's adopted, though," Angela says happily. 'They're so alike. They look alike, act alike, and they're both part Hawaiian. Little Leiko is so adorable, kind of like what I imagine Akai was like as a kid." I roll my eyes, not that they can see. "Don't roll your eyes, Akai; I know you were a kid once too. You didn't just wash up on a beach somewhere, eighteen years old and already a skilled warrior."

"I like that story better, though. Makes me sound more badass than I am."

"I bet you're a really good big brother," the Aphrodite girl says.

"He is," Bianca smiles.

"Ah, you're gonna blow my cover, Angela. What will I do if the whole camp thinks I'm soft?"

"I guess you'll have to hide your face in shame," Ethan says. "Oh, wait."

"Ha! So funny, Damian."

"What's your little sister like?" Hazel asks. She smiles kindly and her golden eyes are shining.

"Uh… Leiko is…" deep breath, "She's sweet, and smart, and beautiful. But, like me, she's unlucky. Leiko is a Herald, like me. She was only four when she started having the nightmares. Everyone she told just assumed they were the run-of-the-mill monsters-in-the-closet nightmares and dismissed her. After Chaos first found me, we split up to look for the other Heralds. She had run away from home; she was living on the streets of Honolulu. I found her half-starved, crying, and miserable." I swallow hard and force back the memory of finding her. She was so scared. "She's human. Not a drop of immortal blood in her. But since the nightmares started, or maybe even before that, she's been able to see through the Mist. I guess _she_ kind of adopted _me_ , really. She even renamed me." I stare sadly into my abandoned coffee.

"About three years ago, after we had found the other Heralds and formed the army, we were betrayed. Aaron, another Herald, a son of Trivia, joined Tartarus. He was thirteen. He had suffered through Tartarus' attacks for two years, since he was eleven, but he couldn't hold out any longer. I can't say I blame him. He was so brave for so long, but no kid should have to go through that. So, when Tartarus offered him a way out, he took it. Kaelyn didn't last much longer after that. Once Aaron joined Tartarus' side, the nightmares only got worse for the other Heralds. Chaos doesn't need to sleep, but humans do, and Kaelyn didn't want to anymore. She was a year or so older than me. A daughter of Apollo; she could heal any wound. She was a skilled fighter, and much better than I am at talking to people and leading. She killed herself. Leiko found the body. I found the note; she asked us not to bring her back. And so, my family dwindles. Chaos has the responsibility of looking after the entire universe, Leiko is barely holding on to her sanity and childhood, and I'm here."

"That's fucked up," someone says.

"I told you: I have more reason than anyone to want to kill Tartarus."

The army has been sitting, listening patiently. They all know this already. Chaos, Leiko, and I were completely destroyed when Kaelyn died. Chaos even wanted to bring her back. It's easy for him. To bring someone back from the dead, he just has to determine that the soul is worth saving. Even people who have chosen rebirth, like Luke and Bianca, can be brought back if they want, as long as they have heroes' souls. And Kaelyn was definitely a hero. But I convinced Chaos to leave her in peace. People don't kill themselves because they want to die; they kill themselves because they don't want to live. We cremated her body, and Chaos built a temple for her on Domum.

"Alright, cupcakes, back to training." I get up, motioning for them to follow.

We spend the rest of the day working on weapons, and I instruct them on the different kinds of monsters Tartarus is expected to have raised, including the Arai. But my heart's not in it anymore. After dinner, which I don't eat, I make myself an extra-strong pot of coffee and hide away in my tent.

 **AN: I have no excuse. This started out funny, I think, and then it got reaaalllly dark. Whoops? Anyway, I've noticed in other Chaos fics, no one really explains how Chaos brings people back from the dead (especially Luke and Bianca, who both canonically chose rebirth) so I tried. Let me know what you think! Love you guys~**


	13. Commander

**AN: Hi! I am really bad with updating regularly, aren't I? Sorry about that. PJO and HOO belong to Rick Riordan. I own the cover art.**

 _Annabeth, Camp, Athena Cabin_

An incessant, evil ringing wakes me up. I smash the 'off' button and a robotic, vaguely feminine voice asks "What is the square root of pi?"

"1.77245," I grumble.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," the voice says.

"1.77245," I say, louder and slower.

"I'm sorry, please round to the nearest one thousandth."

"1.773- oh wait, no! Shit!"

"Answer incorrect." The beeping increases in volume.

"Annabeth, shut that stupid thing up!"

"I'm trying!" I look around for the plug in before I realize there is none, Leo made this alarm clock, so he made it with a solar-powered battery. "Ugh!"

"How far is the sun from the Earth in feet?" the robotic voice asks.

"Who gives a shit?!" one of my siblings yells.

"Answer incorrect." The beeping gets louder and faster.

"Fuck!"

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I pick up the nearest hardcover book, my annotated copy of _Twenty-five Buildings Every Architect Should Understand_ , stuffed with notes, newspaper clippings, sticky notes, and what looks like a coupon for Starbucks. Then, I slam it down onto the offending alarm clock. With a crunch and a pop, the alarm clock is no more and the ringing stops. Half-hearted, exhausted cheers come from my brothers and sisters.

"Now go back to sleep, sheesh." Malcolm's voice is muffled by his pillow and the blanket he's buried his head under.

I groan and roll over.

Wait a minute.

"Where's Akai?" I ask.

"Who cares, just be grateful he's not waking us up at four a.m. Go back to sleep, Annabeth."

I get a bad feeling about this, but I am exhausted, so I roll over and fall back asleep.

* * *

I wake up again when I feel someone shaking my shoulder. "Mm what?"

"Come on, breakfast."

"Mm okay." I get up and get dressed in a sleepy, somewhat confused state. Wasn't there something I was worried about when I fell back asleep? I look at the cracked surface of my alarm clock and think. _Right, Percy didn't wake us up this morning._ What's with that? He wakes us up at four one morning, then lets us sleep in the next.

I make it to the dining pavilion, get food, and sit down next to Luke, who's playing with some sort of cellphone thing anxiously.

"Hey, where's Akai?"

"I don't know. He left a note that said, 'Call you later, bye' but nothing else. I've been waiting for a call."

"Oh." I peel open an orange. "Does he do this often?"

"Um, sometimes. Sometimes he gets a mission and has to leave right away, and sometimes he just needs some space. I'm hoping it's the latter, because he hasn't slept in at least two days and I don't want him out on a mission if he hasn't had any sleep."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Calypso says, taking a seat next Leo. She hasn't been around much lately; she's been spending a lot of time in Central Park, where she somehow managed to get a job as a tour guide. Leo's been trying to get her as far away from the war as possible. I think they had an argument about it, and I think that was their compromise. "After all, he isn't an ordinary hero, and you don't become the commander of an army if you can't even take care of yourself."

"I think you may be one of the few people who _overestimate_ him. He's not all-powerful, and he hasn't been eating or sleeping these past two days. I've seen him power through after nearly two whole weeks without sleep, but it's not something I want him to do on a regular basis."

"You're like his mom," Piper says thoughtfully, munching off of other peoples' plates, "in the way that you worry about how he eats and sleeps and whatnot. But you rarely do anything to change the way he's doing things. Why?"

Luke laughs bitterly. "'An ocean does not bow to a breeze. And to a strong wind, the ocean rages.' That's Chaos' advice. Basically, you can't persuade a force of nature to do something the logical way, no matter what tactic you use, so you may as well wait patiently for the storm to pass or until the idiot realizes he needs food and sleep in order to function."

"Are we talking about the Commander?" Rin asks, sitting across from me. "I was on watch this morning, saw him leave his tent, then go through a portal. Not sure where to." He shovels rice and scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"He left a pretty cryptic note. Maybe he's just gone to Domum?"

"What's Domum?" Connor asks.

"Domum is where we live," Zoe says, coming up to the table right behind Connor, Travis, and Katie. "The name literally translates into 'home.' It is a beautiful planet, mostly covered in water. The land is very mountainous. It reminds me very much of Greece." She smiles and sits down.

Luke nods. "He may have gone to see Chaos or Leiko. I just hope he's not on a mission."

"I thought this was his mission?" Jason looks confused, and I know I am too.

"Well, yes, but he is in charge of hundreds of soldiers. Sometimes other squads need his help. Or sometimes he has to go on solo missions for Chaos."

"Well, hopefully he calls soon," Luke says to Zoe.

"He didn't take anything with him, did he?" I ask Rin.

"No, don't think so."

"Then he'll call and be back soon," I say. "He wouldn't go on a mission unprepared; he's not that dumb."

"You're right. He's probably just-" Luke's little black cellphone lights up and the contact appears on the screen. _Akai_ , it says. Luke picks it up and hits the green talk button with record-breaking speed. "Just where in the hell are you? We're all worried sick! Are you on a mission? Are you okay? When are you coming back?" Whoa. Obviously he was more worried than he let on. That isn't like Luke at all, but he always was pretty protective over his siblings.

"You're definitely his mom," Leo says, smirking.

Luke waves him off.

Percy's voice comes through the speaker, far away and slightly garbled by static. "Sheesh, I'm fine. I'm on my way back now. Wasn't a mission, just an emergency OU meeting. I'll see you soon, save me a couple pancakes." There's a click and the voice cuts off.

"OU meeting, I do not envy our dear Commander." Rin looks at Luke pointedly.

"An emergency meeting does not happen often. I wonder what called them together," Zoe says.

"I guess we're about to find out," Luke points past my shoulder and everyone turns to see Akai coming down Half-Blood Hill. I turn and my jaw drops.

He's wearing what looks like a full dress uniform. The gray suit is decorated with metals and braided lanyards. The shoulders even have gold epaulettes. Even his hood is decorated; a small, round pin, gold with a black Chaos symbol inside of it, keeps it together. His sword's sheath is decorated as well, clearly only intended for use during meetings or ceremonies.

Despite his dramatic entrance, he looks almost bored. His hands are in his pockets and he seems to not notice the looks he's getting from every demigod camper in the dining pavilion. I'm pretty sure more than half of the girls are gossiping about him and I know from a conversation I overheard in the showers that most definitely have a crush on him. They haven't seen his face and they're already attracted to him. Seeing him in his dress uniform sends the children of the love goddess into a tizzy.

It's then that it hits me.

Percy is a _commander_. _Seaweed Brain_ leads an entire _army_. People all over the universe know who he is, but I haven't had contact with him since his graduation, five and a half years ago. And back then, he was so distant and moody. Now, he seems confident and self-assured, walking proudly through the dining pavilion, greeting campers and soldiers like friends. I was so worried about what he'd be like after over five years, but, in a way, he hasn't changed.

Okay, half the time he's moody and anxious and not at all like Percy, but then there are times like this. He looks like a leader, like a hero. He reminds me so much of Percy. But, right now, I don't know if he's being Percy or Akai. Is Percy the strong one, the leader, or is Akai? Then, which one of them is going crazy? Gods, is this what being in his head is like? Constantly questioning who he is? I'm starting to think banging my head on the table would be a good idea.

He grabs a few pancakes and a mug, neglecting to burn an offering to the gods. He smiles when he sees his mug fill. Black coffee, again. He sits next to me on the bench and starts drowning his pancakes in syrup.

"How was your meeting, Commander?" Rin asks smugly.

"Terrible."

"You said it was an emergency meeting?" Zoe asks.

"Yeah, in a way." He takes another bite of pancake, then a drink. He leans forward a bit, resting his elbows on the table. "Some _idiot_ thought Chaos should know that Sector Five is having some trouble with a certain Primordial threatening the Balance. And then a _different_ idiot wanted to know if I had disappeared off the grid because I wasn't at the meeting. So, Chaos called me and asked me to come in and explain both things. I swear it's like if I don't show up for one OU meeting, they all think I've finally died. If only. I'd love to fake my own death, just so I didn't have to see any of the other OU Council Members _ever again_."

"What's the OU?" I ask.

"Organized Universe. Basically, we run the world. Every sector has a representative, Chaos runs the whole thing. Everyone else on the fucking council is a dick."

"Well, you are what you eat," Rin says, "at least in Lord Conleth's case."

Percy snorts. "We are _never_ holding council on Domum again. That is way too close to home."

"Please, don't," Luke says. "They are the most unbearable assholes I have ever met and I'm surprised you can stand them for hours and days on end. Remind me, why did they ever come to Domum in the first place?"

Percy throws his shoulders back and juts his chin out a bit, giving off a pompous air. He says in a high, snooty voice, "It is of the utmost importance to myself and the rest of the council that we inspect your army for ourselves, _Commander_ Akai. After all, if you are going to keep the Balance, as well as be the representative for Sector Five, I feel we must have some idea of the force that supports you." He groans. "Shut up Lady Brausch, no one likes you. Oh, but Chaos thought it was a _good_ idea! Arrogant, royal assholes!"

"Um, Akai? You're technically royalty," Frank says. "Your father is a king, after all."

"They don't know that, and it would be very bad for me, politically, if they knew. They already despise me; I'd hate to give them another reason. Right now, they think I'm the weakest link on the council, the only non-royal. My only redeeming quality, the reason I'm on the Council, is that I'm one of the few people from Earth that knows about the OU, and the highest ranking of those few. I am using that to my advantage at the moment."

"So, you're a Herald, the Commander of Chaos' Army, and also the Sector Five Representative on the council that runs the entire universe?" Reyna asks.

"Yep."

"Any other titles we should know about?"

"I think there's a planet in Sector Six that believes I'm some sort of water spirit that they worship." He shrugs.

"What?" Leo fumbles. "How does that even happen?"

"I crash landed a jet into an ocean and swam to the surface after like, two hours underwater. I was knocked unconscious, but when I got out there were a bunch of people in boats putting flowers in the water."

"Unbelievable. We gotta go to the crappy town where I'm a hero," he says.

"Yeah, because I totally meant for all of this to happen. I guess I'm just lucky," Percy says with sarcasm and barely-restrained bitterness. He pulls out a tablet-thing similar to Luke's cellphone. He messes with it for a while, then hands it to Luke. I get a glimpse of it as it passes, and it looks like a pretty detailed plan, but of what, I don't know.

Luke looks at the tablet, looks at Percy, and glares.

"What's this?"

"Something I thought of while trying to ignore Prince Regan's obvious attempts to flirt with me."

"No, that's a stupid plan."

"Admittedly, not my best plan. But it _will_ work. And we need to do this."

"No."

"Who's in charge here?" Percy asks.

Luke groans. "Not alone," he says, handing the tablet back.

"Wasn't planning on going it alone. You're staying here though, I need someone to cover my ass while I'm gone and keep up the training. I need a week or so to plan, then I'll go."

"Any ideas about the Prophecy?"

"Just trying to take this one hurdle at a time."

Luke nods. "Don't get yourself killed doing this."

Everyone is looking between the two as they speak and I feel like I'm watching a tennis match. I'm sitting right between them. What exactly are they planning? Where is Percy going? I'm about to ask the question when Percy gets up and leaves in the direction of the army camp, waving goodbye.

 **AN: Where** _ **is**_ **Percy going? That's for me to know and for you to find out. This chapter is pretty much filler, but I like it, so whatever. Enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated and you can PM me if you have questions, critiques, or suggestions. Bye~**


	14. Sick

**AN: Okay, this shit's intense.**

 _Annabeth, Camp, Half-Blood Hill, two days after "Commander"_

It's almost two a.m. when Ethan Nakamura and Chris Rodriguez walk up the hill and take over watch for me and Sarah, one of my siblings. I stay and talk with them for a while before heading back to my cabin; Sarah goes on ahead.

"How is he?" I ask Ethan.

He shrugs. "He's doing alright. We saw his light turn off while we were walking up, so hopefully he'll get some sleep. Luke's getting worried, but Luke's always worried about Akai, 'specially after Kaelyn."

I nod. "How did he react to that?" I ask, concerned but curious.

Percy's never reacted well to the deaths of his friends; well, no one would. But Percy always seems to find a way to blame himself; that's entirely because of his fatal flaw- loyalty. Knowing him, he'll have blamed both the boy's betrayal and the girl's suicide on his own inability to protect them.

"About as well as can be expected. He did what he had to do, of course. He convinced Chaos not to bring her back, spoke at her memorial, lit the funeral pyre, whatever. But he and Chaos and Leiko spent a lot of time together in the weeks and months after. No one really knows how they grieved, but they did it together, which is what she would've wanted. I know it really tore him up inside. All the Heralds were really close."

That kills me. How could anyone who knows Percy ever betray him like that? If they were so close, why would Aaron just abandon them? Percy's always been like a brother to everyone he meets. He protected Grover from bullies at Yancy and from Polyphemus in the Sea of Monsters. When I went missing after we found Nico and Bianca, he came and saved me, then took on the sky to protect his friends. Ever since he came to Camp Half-Blood, he's been like a brother to the demigods here. At first, he was the annoying kid brother who somehow got himself into more trouble than anyone else. Later, after the Second Titan War, he became a hero and a protective older brother to everyone. On the Argo II, he was always laughing and making sure everyone was still looking on the bright side. He takes care of people; it's just who he is.

But at this point, Percy can hardly take care of himself. Luke has to remind him to eat, he refuses to sleep, and he works himself and everyone else until we're all ready to drop from exhaustion. If he doesn't sleep tonight, it'll be the fifth night in a row. He's making plans to leave for a quest, I know that much, but he hasn't told anyone what the quest is yet. I asked him about it and he said he was "still working out the kinks" and gave me a half-hearted smile. Luke knows what it is, and I saw Percy and Luke talking with Nico in hushed tones. Nico didn't seem to like what they were saying, but nodded at the end, said something, and shadow travelled away.

"What's Leiko like?" Chris asks.

Ethan sighs heavily. "Uh, don't tell Akai what I'm gonna say. Leiko is an adorable little nightmare. That girl could watch Lilo and Stitch for days, or she could _scream bloody murder_ for _hours_. And that is not an exaggeration. Some days she'll be a cute, normal little nine-year-old, and some days she turns into a fucking monster. She breaks things and screams and then just stares into space like she's paralyzed. She once ran and hid in Chaos' office for hours because someone accidentally dropped a spoon in the mess hall. She didn't make eye contact or speak to anyone other than Akai or Chaos for weeks after that. She's crazy."

"She is cute, though. She looks so much like him that they could actually be brother and sister. Apparently, when he tried to introduce himself to her in Honolulu, she already had a name picked out for him. Akai. She seemed to _know_ who he was, the instant they crossed paths. And she trusts him more than anyone else. Luke found them in Akai's room one day, sleeping on the couch together, the both of them smiling peacefully in their sleep. There's a picture. Chaos has this picture on his desk, of all five Heralds, and Leiko's sitting on top of Percy's shoulders and Kaelyn's got her arms around Chaos and Aaron, and they look like a family. Leiko sometimes sits and stares at that picture for hours," he finishes softly. "She's a paradox. She's the only thing keeping Akai going, and she's slowly tearing him apart."

We stand in silence for a little, watching the horizon for any sign of enemies lurking.

"Go get some sleep, Annabeth," Chris says. "He'll be okay, in the end. He's always okay."

"Right," I say. I turn to walk away. "Thanks, Chris, Ethan. See you guys later."

"Bye," they call after me.

I walk down the hill, absorbed in my own thoughts. I barely have time to get out of the way before a shadow blurs past me and into the boys' bathroom. I look towards the direction the shape came from, a single tent in the midst of the soldiers' tents, opening still pulled back after being flung aside in the shadow's haste. It doesn't take a child of Athena to know that that's Percy's tent.

I take a deep breath and follow him into the bathroom. The lights above the sinks glow with florescence and one flickers sporadically. The rest of the lights in the combined bathroom/shower room are off. From some hidden corner, I hear vomiting.

"Percy?" I ask quietly.

I take a few more steps into the bathroom and round the corner. Under the door of a bathroom stall, I can see the bottoms of Percy's bare feet poking out. Army-green cotton pajamas that have seen better days are not much cushion for the legs sprawled out on the cold tile floor. Percy groans and moves, pulling himself up onto his knees before retching violently into the toilet. I get closer and peek around the door. He's not wearing a shirt or his hood. The tattoo on his back stands out against his tanned skin under florescent light. The symbolism isn't lost on me. He carries the weight of the entire Universe on his back. If I didn't know better, I'd say the tattoo was a birthmark, a sign of his destiny.

He shudders and retches again, but with what little he's eaten in these past few days, there's nothing but bile left in his stomach. I watch, unable to do anything, until that's gone too and he's left dry heaving into the toilet.

"Percy?" I move forward and put a hand on his bare shoulder. His skin is hot and slick with sweat, like he has a fever. Despite his apparent temperature, he shivers when my hand comes into contact with his skin. He shrugs off my hand and turns his body away from me.

"Get the fuck out of here," he growls.

"Percy, you're sick. I can help you."

"You can't fucking help me. Just get out!"

"I'm not leaving you. I _can_ help."

"You _can't_. Get out of here; leave me alone. You can't help me and I don't want you to. I want you to just _go away!_ " His grip on the toilet tightens and I avoid looking at the contents of his stomach that swirl around in the bowl.

"Look, I know you're scared but-"

He whips around and faces me. His face contorts into a mask of vicious suffering. "You know _nothing_."

"Then _tell me_. What's wrong with you? What was the nightmare about?" I have to get through to him. I can't just leave him like this. Despite our break-up, I do love him and I care about him. I certainly don't want to see him like this.

He reaches up and flushes the toilet, not saying a word.

"Percy," I say with more force. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's just a nightmare; I deal with this all the time. Go back to bed and leave me the fuck alone," he says tiredly.

"It's not healthy to keep it all bottled up. I won't tell anyone about this, but you need to tell me what's bothering you this much. Look, you're a mess. You _never_ get sick." In all my years knowing him, I've never once seen him look this ill. His face is haggard and pale and covered in a thin layer of sweat. His eyes are guarded and haunted, and the bags under them are a dark gray, almost black. His shaggy hair is messed up, like he just stepped out of a tornado. His lips are pulled into a tight, wry smile.

"Of course I'm a mess. And I don't _need_ to tell you anything."

"Well, I'm not leaving here until you do."

"Don't be stubborn. Just go away."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, Annabeth! I want you to leave! I don't want you to see me like this; I don't want you to try and help; I want to be left alone!" He groans and puts his head in his hands, his fight seemingly gone. He slumps against the wall of the bathroom stall. "Just go away, please." His voice cracks.

"Oh, Percy." I sink to my knees on the cold tile floor and pull him into a hug. "I'm so sorry I ever left you. I should've listened; we could've done this together. Together, like we promised."

"No, Annabeth," he pushes me away gently but forcefully. "I don't want you wrapped up in my craziness. I don't want you to see me like this, Wise Girl. Why is that so hard for you to understand? You left once; why can't you just leave now!? Please go."

"I'm not going to leave you again," I say. I pull him back into the hug and this time, he doesn't resist. I wrap my arms around him and he pulls me close, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his head into my shoulder. I start rubbing his back in little circles. I can't help but think of the times when he did this same thing for me whenever I was sick. He'd sing softly to me and bring me soup and half-burnt grilled cheese sandwiches.

A cry escapes his lips and before I know it, he's sobbing, soaking my shoulder with tears. "I just want to sleep," he says in a faint, broken voice.

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay." But it's not okay. It is very far from okay. "What was the dream about, Percy?" I ask once the crying has died down significantly.

"K-Kaelyn," he pulls away slightly and replies. "She-she was holding that stupid jar, threatening to smash it if I- if I couldn't help her. If I couldn't stop the nightmares, get Aaron back, keep the family together. But- I tried- but I couldn't and she threw it to the ground and it shattered and-and I _fucking failed_ everyone. Everyone I ever cared about, I _failed_ them. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so so so so so sorry. Fuck, it was all my fault and now she's gone and Aaron's gone and Leiko- gods!" He sobs and starts hyperventilating. He coughs and tries to catch his breath, but he can't. He clutches at his heart and shuts his eyes tight. He bends over, puts his head between his knees and tries to breathe. He keeps repeating "I'm sorry" desperately to himself and it's like I'm not even there anymore.

I rub his back and try to help, but I don't know what else to do. I've never dealt with a panic attack this severe before.

"Percy, calm down. Nothing is your fault. Calm down and try to breathe. Deep breaths, in and out. It's all okay." He couldn't have been asleep for more than half an hour between the time Ethan saw him turn out his light and I found him. How did it end up like this? "Come on, Percy, let's get you to bed; you need to sleep."

"No!" he cries. "No, I won't sleep! I can't!"

"Percy," I say softly, still rubbing his back, "you need to. Your body needs time to rest. You can't go without sleep for very long."

"Watch me," he spits. He gets up, shakily.

"Percy, wait!"

But he's gone, off to who knows where. I should follow him, but I can't.

 **AN: Sorry.**


	15. Ohana

**AN: Thanks to all of you who read and review, keep it up. This chapter will be split between Percy's and Annabeth's perspectives; that's just how it worked out best for me. Now, here's a joke:** _ **What did the beaver say when he ran into a wall? Dam.**_

 _Annabeth, Camp, Dock_

I didn't go back to sleep. I didn't even bother to try. I also didn't bother to look for Percy. I know that might make me a bad person, but after seeing that, seeing him break down, I knew I couldn't help him. Hephaestus once said that you can't fix a broken person. Dionysus fixed Chris, though. Maybe, once this is over, Dionysus could help Percy, too. That's if Percy's still alive at the end of this. And if the god of madness will agree to help.

I sigh and rest my arms on my knees, looking out at the water of Long Island Sound. It doesn't hold the same joy it once did. Ever since Percy left, the ocean seems darker.

I hear footsteps behind me on the dock and I turn.

Percy is standing there, fully clothed this time.

I don't say anything; I just turn back to the water. No one speaks for a long moment. "Well, are you going to sit?" I ask.

"No," he replies after a while. "No, I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see me like that, and I'm sorry I scared you. I'm not okay, but I'm trying really hard to be. So, please, don't tell anyone about this. I already told Luke, so if you need someone to talk to, uh yeah."

I nod slowly, unsure of what to say.

"There's going to be a meeting later today on Mount Olympus, all the camp leaders and gods and whatnot. Chaos is coming too, I think." He breathes in and releases before speaking again. "There are a few things I need to talk to you about before you hear what I have to say at the meeting."

I turn around. "What is it?" I can't see his face to know what he's thinking, but his mouth is twisted into what could either be an attempt at a reassuring smile or a grimace. Maybe both. "Is something wrong?"

He sighs and sits next to me.

 _Percy, Camp, Dock_

"I'm going on a quest into the Pit," I say.

"What?! Why?"

I grimace. I already have a headache, and she's practically screaming in my ear.

"I have to go find Bob," I say quietly. "And Damasen. And Small Bob. We need allies, and they can help us. There may be others in the Pit who could help us, too."

"But- but you can't go back there!"

"I have to, Annabeth. I saw it in a dream. I have to go." That's a lie, and not a very good one. I didn't see it in a dream. I planned this because I thought it could give us some edge in this war, and also because I still feel guilty about Bob and Damasen. I don't sleep often enough lately to have seen it in a dream.

She sets her jaw and gives me a hard look. "Then I'm going too."

"No. You're not."

"I want to help," she snaps. "I'm not letting you go alone."

"I'm not going alone. And you will be helping me, by staying here and staying safe. Besides, I have something I want you to take care of for me while I'm not here. Something that requires your expert research and fighting skills," I smile.

She looks at me apprehensively (yeah, I know five-syllable words). "What?"

" _Prepare yourselves, Children of Gods/ Only with Hope will you beat the odds._ I need you to guard Hestia."

"What? Why?"

"Hestia has Pandora's Box, remember? Pandora's Box holds Elpis, the spirit of Hope. My dream last night, I told you Kaelyn was holding the pithos, threatening to break it. I think that Tartarus is planning to attack Mount Olympus, steal the jar, and release Hope."

She nods. "Makes sense, Prometheus wanted Hope released too, but he was a bit more dramatic about it. You said something about research?"

"Yes. Has anyone ever _spoken_ to Elpis?"

"Um… not that I know of… Why?"

I scowl in frustration and tug on my hood. "I don't know. I get the feeling that just having the jar in our possession is not going to help much. I feel like I'm missing something. I don't know. For now, we just need to make sure that it's safe."

"Okay, Per- Akai."

I smile. "Thank you." I get up and offer her my hand. I pull her up onto her feet and we walk together to the dining pavilion, neither of us saying much.

 _Annabeth_

After breakfast, Percy and the lieutenants gather everyone into groups and continue with training. I notice that Percy pushes himself even harder today than he has in the past few days. He's working with next to no sleep and he had a serious breakdown last night. At this point, I don't know what's keeping him going. Maybe the excessive amount of coffee he drinks. I noticed last night when I hugged him that his scent has changed. Not much; he still smells like the ocean, salty and crisp. But now, he also smells like coffee and something else I can't really identify, but it's warm and nice.

After training, the camp leaders and the army leaders all gather at the Big House with Chiron. We pack ourselves into the camp's minibuses and make the drive to the Empire State Building. Argus is driving one bus, with myself, Percy, Luke, Thalia, Nico, Leo, Will, Katie, Travis and Connor. Dakota is driving the other, which has Chiron, Reyna, Clarisse, Ethan, Bianca, Zoe, Jason, Piper, Hazel, and Frank. The drive is spent just chit-chatting about dumb stuff. Capture the flag games and strategies, the pranks the Stolls are getting into, just casual stuff.

We make it to the Empire State Building and take the elevator up. Twenty-one of us (Argus stayed with the buses) walk into the throne room.

Chaos is speaking casually with my mother, no doubt about strategies. He smiles when he sees Percy walk in.

" _Aloha, Kaikaina. Pehea `oe?_ " Chaos says.

" _Aloha. Maika`i nō. Oe?_ " Percy replies, and it takes a moment to register that they're not speaking English, they're speaking Hawaiian. I don't catch _any_ of it, aside from _aloha_.

I know Percy can speak Hawaiian. After all, it is the language of the sea. Still, it shocks me with how casual it is, and how _right_ it sounds, coming out of his mouth.

" _Maika`i nō, mahalo._ "

Poseidon scowls from his throne. " _Kaikaina?_ Really?" he grumbles.

"What's it mean?" Apollo asks. "It sounds so pretty."

"It means younger brother, Lord Apollo," Percy says. "And if you have a problem with it, Lord Poseidon, get over it."

"He isn't your family," Poseidon insists. "I am."

Percy gapes at him. "Are you serious? You're _not_ my family. We may share blood, but there is _nothing_ between us. You don't know me."

Poseidon gets up, looking angry, as though he might go straight up to Percy and rip the hood off.

"Sit down, Poseidon," Zeus says. "We have a meeting to go about. Solve your family issues later."

"We will," Poseidon promises.

"Commander," Zeus says, "begin."

Percy goes into detail about the preparations camp is making, the training and the defense systems. He tells the gods and goddesses present about the monsters Tartarus is likely to raise, including Arai and possibly some Titans or even other Primordials.

"I believe that there are some in the Pit that would help us. Tartarus' rule would be a disaster for everyone, even those who were previously our enemies. At the end of the week, another demigod and I are going into the Pit to see if there are any that would help us."

Gasps.

"Why would you risk that?" "That's suicide!" "We have no allies in that place!" "Why would you go back to that place?"

I look over at Chaos. He looks panic-stricken, completely paralyzed with fear. His eyes well up with tears, but he blinks them away. I'm not the only one who notices. Poseidon notices it, too.

Poseidon looks at Chaos and Chaos meets his gaze. Neither of them say anything.

"Who is the other demigod?" Zeus asks, once the shock has died down a little bit.

From beside Hazel, Nico steps forward. "I am, Lord Zeus."

"No." Hades says, standing. "I forbid it!" He turns on Percy. "Going there is reckless and will bring nothing but death to the both of you."

"I'm not asking for your permission, _father_ ," Nico says. "Akai and I are the only ones, aside from Annabeth, with knowledge of the Pit and the monsters there that would help us. Believe me, I don't want to go back there, but I'd rather go there for a few days than risk letting Tartarus take over this world. I know what kind of world he would create if he were in control, and it is not one that I want my friends to live in. So, I'm going. This is not a discussion."

Akai and Nico stand together.

"A-Akai…" Chaos says. He looks very close to tears. "You don't have to, there must be another way."

"I know what I'm doing."

"But what if…" he lets it hang.

"Hey, I'm not going to die. And I'm not going to get caught. We'll get in, get out. And, if something goes very, very wrong… don't you dare come after us. If we don't make it out, First Lieutenant Miles will become Commander, and he'll do a damn fine job. Don't waste time trying to get us out; the Pit is a place not even you can bring someone back from."

Chaos nods, looking subdued.

Percy turns to Hestia at the Hearth. "My Lady, I believe you are the keeper of Pandora's pithos."

She nods, a slight, knowing smile appearing on her face.

"I believe that one line of the prophecy- ' _Only with Hope will you beat the odds'_ \- is referring to Elpis. With your permission, I'd like to station guards on Olympus and assign a few trusted demigods to guard both you and the pithos. Annabeth will be in charge of this operation."

"Alright," Hestia says. "I trust your judgement, Commander."

"Do you think Tartarus would really attack Olympus just for the pithos?" Aphrodite asks. "What could he have to gain from that?"

"Yes, I do. He could release Hope and destroy her, and without Hope, Tartarus will rise and take over Mount Olympus. And, as I'm sure you're aware, that would be very bad." Percy sighs. "Chaos, in addition to my five squads, I want you to send in India, Mike, and Tango. They're all just off leave after their own single-squad assignments, so they're good to go. Miles, you take Bravo, Delta, India, and Mike. I'll command Alpha, Charlie, Echo, and Tango."

"Is this all necessary?" Hephaestus asks. "The war has hardly begun and you're already calling in for reinforcements."

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, Lord Hephaestus. It seems to be a lesson immortals never quite remember. Just because you can't die, doesn't mean you're invincible." He looks around the room. "That's everything new. Unless there are any questions?"

"How are you still standing?" Apollo asks suddenly.

"What?"

"Your head should be killing you."

"Yeah, you're gonna have to elaborate a bit; I don't know what you're talking about."

"How long have you been getting migraines?"

Percy crosses his arms. "Since long before I became a Herald. Why?"

Huh? Percy never complained about migraines before. How long has he had these?

"How are you not dead?"

"Okay, if you're just going to continue answering my questions with more, vague, insulting questions, I'm gonna have to stop you. Are you done?"

 _Percy_

Seriously. It's just a fucking headache. Calm your stethoscope. "Okay, if you're just going to continue answering my questions with more, vague, insulting questions, I'm gonna have to stop you. Are you done?"

Apollo looks at me really close, as if trying to tell whether or not I'm about to drop dead. Finally, his face relaxes. "Yeah, I guess."

"If you're not capable of leading, someone else should," Athena says calmly.

I turn around to face her. "I've commanded the army for _five_ years with no problems. I'm perfectly capable. Oh, but by all means, if you think someone else could do a better job, please let me know so that I can step down and retire." I don't even bother to hold the sarcasm in. For fuck's sake, this is my army; I am completely capable of leading them, even under stressful conditions. I've survived full-on _wars_ before, the kind that last months and months with trench digging and bombings and heavy fire.

"You're underestimating him," Chaos says calmly, from my right. He puts a hand on my shoulder and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "It wouldn't hurt to put a little faith in someone who's offering you so much help and asking for absolutely nothing in return."

"I trust my judgement," Athena says arrogantly. "And so far, I have seen nothing to earn my trust."

 _Honi ko'u 'elemu._ Kiss my ass. "As Lord Hephaestus said, the war has barely begun. And if you can really find no value in my being here at this point, I don't believe that I'll ever be able to impress you." I laugh. "You hated me in my past life, as well, Lady Athena."

She narrows her storm-gray eyes at me. "Perhaps with good reason."

I smile brightly. "Not really," I say cheekily.

 _Percy (still)_

After that, we got back in the buses and went back to camp. Fine with me, my head is killing me and I have a lot to think about. We eat dinner and Nico and I talk quietly about our quest. I'm both happy and worried that he's going with me. Neither of us really wants to go there, but we both understand that neither of us wants to send anyone else to that place.

Afterwards, Chiron helps me gather everyone (aside from the sentries) into the amphitheater to tell them of my plan to go to Tartarus, to protect Hestia and Pandora's jar, and to bring in extra troops.

It goes over smoothly, for the most part. Some people seem to think that I'm _forcing_ Nico to go with me because he has knowledge about Tartarus. Truth is, I didn't even ask him. I went to him for advice, to ask him if he thought there were any immortals or monsters in the Pit that would help us against Tartarus, and when he offered to come with me, I accepted. I'm not entirely sure why I accepted. Usually, like I did with Annabeth, I'd offer an alternative job. But it will be good to have him there; I trust him to watch my back.

Someone is asking Nico a few questions when I hear it. There's a shift somewhere, like a breeze, but not. A portal opened somewhere nearby. I strain my ears to hear where it's coming from, but there's too much talking.

" _Shh!_ " I put my finger to my lips and signal for everyone to quiet down. Towards the opening of the amphitheater, there's the sound of a twig snapping. I jerk my head in the direction of the noise, just as I hear footsteps rapidly approaching.

Before I know it, a body is hurtling towards me.

I barely register my own ' _oof'_ as a pair of arms wrap around my waist and knock me back a few feet. A very familiar head buries itself in my stomach. Leiko hugs me with a fury.

I laugh a little. " _Aloha, Kaikuahine._ " Hello, Sister.

Leiko looks up at me and smiles widely. " _Aloha, Kaikunane!_ " Hello, Brother!

" _What are you doing here?_ " I continue in Hawaiian.

" _Didn't want to go to sleep,_ " she says, burying her face into my stomach and grabbing my shirt.

I move back and hold her at arm's length. "Leiko, does Chaos know that you're here?" As soon as I say it, I feel a buzz in my pocket, where my cell phone sits. I lift the phone out and hit the talk button, raising it to my ear.

"Akai!" Chaos' panicked voice comes out tinny and warped by the strange speakers and the long distance call. "I can't find Leiko anywhere and-"

"It's alright; she's with me. She's safe." Leiko looks up at me timidly and plays with her skirt anxiously, like she might get in trouble. Well, she might.

"Oh, thank goodness." Chaos sighs deeply into the phone.

"What happened? Did you two have a fight?"

"I simply suggested that she take a bath and get ready for bed, and she ran off and disappeared."

"Ah, I see. Okay, she can stay with me for the night; I'll get her home in the morning."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I've got this."

"Famous last words," Chaos laughs.

"See you tomorrow. _Aloha, Kaikua`ana._ "

" _Aloha_."

I put away the phone and squat down to be eye level with Leiko. I give her my best "I-am-your-older-brother-and-I-am-in-charge-here" look. " _You are not supposed to be here, little one._ "

She nods.

" _But, I am not going to send you home tonight. You can stay here with me if you promise to be good and take a bath and sleep when I tell you it's time to._ "

She nods happily and wraps her skinny arms around my neck. When I stand, she wraps her legs around my waist and curls against me. I wrap my arms around her back and under her bottom to keep her up. " _Mahalo_ ," she says. She kisses my chin, which is pretty much all she can reach without moving my hood.

I laugh. I look over at Chiron, who is looking on silently and smiling. "Sorry for interrupting the meeting. Someone decided this would be the opportune moment to drop by for a visit."

"That's quite alright. What's your name, dear one?" he asks Leiko.

She buries her head in the crook of my neck, among the folds of my hood. I kiss the top of her head before telling him. "Her name is Leiko. Leiko, this is Chiron. He's a friend." She lifts her head up and gapes, as if suddenly realizing the number of people gathered here. She clings to me a little tighter. I laugh. "You shouldn't have come if you were going to be shy, Little Flower."

When I'm with Leiko and Chaos, the rest of the world doesn't seem to matter. There's no reason the three of us couldn't be perfectly happy alone, living like a family, away from the rest of the gods and the responsibilities. Ultimately, that's what I want. I want to finish this war, end the nightmares, and just be a family. Our own little _ohana_.

"Why is he a horse?" Leiko's question catches me off guard.

I look at her for a moment while the question registers, then I laugh my ass- er, butt- off.

Chiron looks a bit miffed, and Leiko is simply confused. She looks around, as if waiting for someone to explain.

Finally, someone does, while I'm still trying to get my laughing under control. "Chiron is a centaur, little one." Thalia comes to the rescue. "He's half-horse, half-man. He teaches us."

Leiko nods sweetly. She looks over at Chiron. " _Kumu_."

I nod. " _Kumu ame kekoa._ "

"What's she saying?" Thalia asks.

"She called him 'Teacher' and I told her he was both teacher and warrior." Leiko takes her hands and grabs my hood, pulling my face closer to hers.

Then, she whispers, " _Can they not understand us?_ "

I laugh more. She's so cute, it's hard not to. "No, they can't speak Hawaiian. You can use English."

She nods once, very seriously. So fuc- er, freaking- cute. She looks back at Chiron. "Teacher," she says.

He nods. "Yes, that's right."

"What do you teach?" she asks, cocking her head to the side. She picked that up from Aaron. My heart aches just watching her. I gently lower her to the ground and she takes my hand.

"Uh, well, I teach history and languages, some politics. I teach people like your brother how to fight monsters."

"Did you teach _Kaikunane?_ "

"Who?" he asks.

" _Kaikunane_ ," she says, like it's obvious. "Big brother."

"Oh, well, I don't know for certain. I don't know who he is exactly."

Thanks for keeping my secret, Chiron. I owe you one.

"He's Akai," sounds like the most obvious answer to my little sister.

Chiron smiles sadly at me. "He means my real name, Little Flower. The one I had before I met you."

"Oh," she scrunches up her face. "I don't remember what it was. Anyway, Akai suits you better!"

"Well, I'm glad you think so," I laugh. She leans against me and yawns. "Come on, little one, time for bed." I scoop her up back into my arms and she rests her head on my shoulder.

" _Himeni e `olu`olu `oe?_ "

"Mile, take over here?" He smiles and I happily oblige my little sister's request. I start singing softly to the little girl in my arms as I head out of the amphitheater, ignoring the stares of the campers.

" _Aloha `oe, aloha `oe_

 _E ke onaona noho i ka lipo_

 _One fond embrace_

 _A ho`i a`e au_

 _Until we meet again._ "

The last note of Queen Liliuokalani's song leaves my lips and Leiko is already fast asleep in my arms. I carry her the rest of the way to my tent and place her gently on the cot before cocooning her in blankets. I make a little bed for myself on the ground next to her, then kiss her forehead and get some much-needed sleep.

 _Annabeth, Amphitheater_

Kids are literally crying over how adorable that was. And not just Aphrodite's kids, either. _Seasoned war veterans_ are crying over Commander Hard-ass and his adorable little sister and that adorable little song he sang to her.

If nothing else, we all have a newfound respect for him.

Yeah, Akai might be a total ass sometimes, with the training and mood swings and exercises, but there are so many different sides to him. I guess, after six years, my Seaweed Brain has grown up. And, I don't know how I feel about this.

 **AN: This is the longest chapter I have written so far, so I hope you know that I worked hard on it. For the Hawaiian bits, good luck pronouncing shit.**

 **A little bit of help to clear confusion which I'm sure arose:**

 **Older sibling of same gender -** _ **Kaikua`ana**_

 **Younger sibling of same gender -** _ **Kaikaina**_

 **A male's sister -** _ **Kaikuahine**_

 **A female's brother –** _ **Kaikunane**_

 **So, do you like my Little Flower? Let me know in the reviews, or you can PM me! Love you~**


	16. Little Flower

**AN:** **So dudes** **, this one's gonna be shorter than the last one, but after this… it all goes downhill. Ready? Here we go!**

 _Percy, Camp, Akai's Tent_

Waking up had never been easier. I may have actually gotten a decent seven or eight hours of sleep! Of course, I still had nightmares, but nothing at all like the ones I've been having lately. I look down and see Leiko snuggled up next to me, the hard, militaristic cot having been totally abandoned sometime in the night. Luckily, she thought to bring extra blankets down with her when she moved.

She stirs a little in her sleep, and I plant a kiss on her forehead and pet her hair. Her pink little lips twitch upwards in a sleepy smile.

I know that I _should_ get up, but instead, I lay my head back onto the pillow and hold my little sister close to me.

I don't go back to sleep. I hum little songs to her while she sleeps until the sun pokes its head through the crack in the tent flap and wakes her. She looks up at me with beautiful, deep brown eyes- the only feature that we don't have in common. Sleepily, she blinks and yawns. Then, she snuggles closer to me and buries her face in my side. It's a weird habit, but she's always liked to get as close as possible to anyone who gives her affection, which may be because of her months on the streets. She never talks about her days on the streets, or the life she had with her parents before that, and the other Heralds have never asked. Leiko is part of our family now, and that's what's important. Still, I wouldn't mind punching whoever made her decide to leave, repeatedly, in the face, with a hammer.

My mother would love Leiko. I know she would never tell me this, but I'm pretty sure my mom wanted a girl. Mom is the most beautiful person in the whole world, so I know I would've been a pretty girl, but, I take after my dad. The best people have the rottenest luck, and in this, my mother and my adopted little sister are the same. But they're both beautiful, fun, and cheerful and I know that they would love each other. My mom loves adopting my friends anyway; half of the camp must think of her as a mother, despite what they may think of me.

I place another soft kiss on the top of Leiko's head and shift so that I can get up. "C'mon, Little Flower, time to get up." She yawns again, but does what I ask.

Neither of us bothered to get into pajamas last night. Not that Leiko actually brought clothes with her. Using a jug of water in my tent, I scrub off the dirt and sweat that both of us are covered in; me because I'm a soldier and her because she's a little kid. I try my best to get her clothes sufficiently clean, too, but with just water, that's a little difficult, even if I am using my powers. I change my clothes quickly, then Leiko and I leave the tent.

She puts her hand in mine and we walk together. We don't say anything, but plenty of people watch as we go past. I see several Aphrodite kids out of the corner of my eye; they're following us. I try to ignore it as best as I can, but nothing is lost on Leiko, and she has no problem with pointing it out.

" _Kaikunane,_ those people are following us." She glances back, looking worried.

"I know, kiddo, they're just curious." Still she looks scared. I think again about her days on the streets. "They won't hurt you, my Little Flower. They won't even try."

Lacy, one of the Aphrodite girls that I recognize, catches up to us. Leiko squeezes my hand, so I squeeze hers back. "Hey guys! Er- uh, Commander. Could we maybe... hang out? With your little sister?" She must see the scared look on Leiko's face, because she quickly adds: "We just think you're really cute," she says to Leiko, "And we want to dress you up and put your hair up in bows and maybe paint your nails." She looks back at the other girls and boys, who give her a thumbs up. "Whaddya say, sweetie? Wanna do it?" Lacy smiles brightly.

Leiko looks at me.

I respond in Hawaiian. " _She's being honest; she won't hurt you. If you want to, you can. But we have to eat breakfast first, and I did tell Chaos I would have you back at Domum today. It's your choice."_ Chaos and I are good brothers, I think, but we don't know much about girls, and we know even less about how to raise a little girl. So, when it comes to bows and nail polish, there's no way. Kaelyn would've loved to do this with Leiko, but, yeah.

Leiko isn't _shy,_ she's scared of strangers; there's a difference. From months of living on the streets, and years of having her dreams haunted by a stranger, she's justified in her fear. So, it doesn't surprise me when she shakes her head. What she says next, _that_ surprises me.

"No thank you, pretty lady, I don't want to be pretty; I want to be strong, like my brothers and sister."

Lacy actually tears up at that. "Okay, sweetie. Thanks, anyway. Bye!" She waves and heads back to her friends, sending me a look over her shoulder that I can't quite name. I look down at my little sister.

"Leiko?"

"Whu?"

"I am so proud of you." I lean down and kiss her head. She smiles brightly.

We go to breakfast and I help her pile her plate with pancakes and pineapple and rice. I watch her carefully. She seems to be having a good day, but anything could set her off, and I can't deal with her on my own; it takes both Chaos and I to calm her down. She squishes herself on the bench between me and Luke, physically clinging to what's familiar while letting her eyes explore. I have to prompt her to eat and she keeps getting distracted. She asks me and Luke, and even some of the others, question after question until I tell her that if she keeps jabbering, her tongue is going to run away. She scrunches up her face and tries to give me the evil eye while everyone else laughs. I just push her plate closer to her and smile wide.

"You two really do look alike," Thalia says when there's a lull in conversation.

I nod. "Crazy, isn't it? You and Jason are actually related, yet look nothing alike, and Leiko and I are adopted and look like we could be from the same two parents." I nudge my girl. "Still not convinced that you're not some kind of strange lake monster that can change her face to look like me."

Leiko screws her eyes shut and blows raspberries at me. "I'm not a lake monster," she complains.

I laugh. "No, Little Flower, you're not." I wrap my arm around her and squeeze gently.

Breakfast passes and I have to send Leiko home, and I'm really worried that this is the last time I'm going see her. But if it is, I'm glad it was a good day for both of us.

 **AN: I'm sorry this one is mostly fluff and has next to no plot in it. I'm sorry it's been like two weeks since I last updated, but I have real life shit that has to come before this, and you have to be patient with my infrequent updates. I promise that this story is going somewhere, just hang tight. Thank you all so much for your reviews and your support; I love each and every one of you!**


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